[Circana] May 2024: 1# Ghost of Tsushima, 2# Paper Mario TYD, 3# Helldivers 2, #8 Shadow of Erdtree; PS5 #1, 2#NSW , 3# XSX

[John Elden Ring]

State of the market

May 2024 content spending fell 3% compared to a year ago to $3.6B, as 13% growth in Mobile content spending could not offset a 40% drop in Console content spending. (Mobile spending totals provided by Sensor Tower).

Hardware

May video game hardware spending declined 40% when compared to a year ago, to $202M, and is now 30% lower YTD. Through May, all current generation hardware platforms are showing double-digit percentage declines year-on-year in 2024, with Switch showing the most significant drop.

PlayStation 5 again led the month’s hardware market in unit and dollar sales. Nintendo Switch once again finished 2nd in unit sales, while Xbox Series ranked 2nd in dollars.

Through each console’s first 43 months in market, PlayStation 5 unit sales lead those of PlayStation 4 by 8%, while Xbox Series trails Xbox One by 13% and remains slightly behind Xbox 360.


Software

Ghost of Tsushima was the best-selling game of May 2024 in tracked dollar sales, boosted by the release of the title on Steam during the month.

Ghost of Tsushima generated a slightly higher consumer spending total across physical and digital game sales than did physical-only sales of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo is not a digital data sharing publisher).

Other new releases appearing among the top 20 best-sellers of May included Homeworld 3 (14th) and F1 24 (18th).


Mobile

Sensor Tower: Top 10 mobile games by U.S. consumer spend in May and rank change vs April: MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, Roblox (+1), Candy Crush Saga (-1), Last War: Survival (+1), Coin Master (-1), Whiteout Survival, Township, Brawl Stars (+5) and Jackpot Party – Casino Slots (+4).

“US mobile gaming consumer spend in May 2024 showed significant growth compared to May 2023 (+13%), though it was relatively steady month over month,” said Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “The biggest winner this month was Brawl Stars, growing US spend by 35% month over month."

“Brawl Stars has been surging this past year, and May 2024 was its best month by US consumer spend since its launch in December 2018. Brawl Stars' developer, Supercell, also launched the eagerly awaited Squad Busters this month,” said Aune.

“Outside of the top ten, I'd like to highlight Dice Dreams, a coin looter (the same genre as MONOPOLY GO!) which grew revenue 22% MoM to be the #22 game by US spend. This has been Dice Dreams' best month by US consumer spend since its release in 2019,” said Aune.


Accessories

May spending on Accessories dropped 8% when compared to a year ago to $148M. Headset and Headphone spending growth 10% in May when compared to a year ago was offset by a 12% dip in Gamepad spending.

The PlayStation Portal was the best-selling accessory in dollar sales for both May and 2024 year-to-date.


Software Charts

PlayStation Platforms

Xbox Platforms

Nintendo Platforms

Monthly Active User Engagement

Top 10 Games Played on PlayStation 5 Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)

Top 10 Games Played on Xbox Series Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)

Top 10 Games Played on Steam Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)

Rankings
Units: PS5 > NSW > XBS
Revenue: PS5 > XBS > NSW

Thanks Mat Piscatella!

NPD Archives​

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Great for PS5, GOT, Stellar Blade top 10 and Rise of the Ronin still top 20

Hellblade 2 is nowhere
Xbox is third after announcing COD on GP. It did nothing at all

Let's see if the showcase helps June



PS5 is 8% above PS4

Xbox is 13% below Xbox one and below X360

 

[Dabaus]

Surprised Rebirth is still top 5 for the year despite falling off the charts. Was hoping it wouldve been in the top 20 thanks to the sales PSN was running last month.

 

[voke]

Surprised Rebirth is still top 5 for the year despite falling off the charts. Was hoping it wouldve been in the top 20 thanks to the sales PSN was running last month.

I truly think rebirth being a "flop" is just misinformation. How can a top 5 game of the year only on one platform be a flop? seems to have done great. IMo, same goes for FFXVI

 

[Evilms]

• PS5 : 235K~245K
• X/S : 110K~115K
• NSW : 120K~125K

 

[Englishy]

Xbox in last place... again. When the Switch 2 comes out, they're completely cooked.

Get ready for more layoffs.

 

[voke]

Rise of the Ronin seems to have quite strong legs. massively underrated game, combat system rivals Nioh 2.

Glad to see DD2 in top 3, it is still my personal favorite game this year.

 

[Nhomnhom]

How are people still buying Xboxes at all?

 

[On Demand]

Good to see FF7 Rebirth at 5 for the year. It’s dollar sales but at least it’s somewhat telling the game is not a flop like some full time haters like to believe.

 

[Kokoloko]

Top 10 Games Played on PlayStation 5 Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)

This is why Sony needs some strong MP/Online games. I would of thought Helldivers 2 would be here, I wonder it HD2 & FF14 are in the top 20

 

[Dabaus]

I truly think rebirth being a "flop" is just misinformation. How can a top 5 game of the year only on one platform be a flop? seems to have done great. IMo, same goes for FFXVI

Didnt square themselves say the game under perfromed? Its one thing for Phils cult to say it, whole other thing for the company to say it themselves.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Top 10 Games Played on PlayStation 5 Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)

This is why Sony needs some strong MP/Online games. I would of thought Helldivers 2 would be here, I wonder it HD2 & FF14 are in the top 20

As if every other publisher wasn't trying to have a GaaS in the top 10 as well. There is very little point to go all in on trying to land a hit, even Helldivers 2 doesn't seem to have been enough and that was extremely successful and above any expectations.

 

[Kokoloko]

Great to see FF7, Helldivers 2 in the top 5. Spiderman 2, Stellar Blade and RoR in top 20.

MLB number 4? But its not published by Sony anymore?

 

[Dabaus]

Edit: Wheres Hellblade 2?

 

[Kokoloko]

Didnt square themselves say the game under perfromed? Its one thing for Phils cult to say it, whole other thing for the company to say it themselves.

Wasn’t it just that Bloomberg reporter Takashi Mochizuki?

 

[JAHGamer]

GoT PC port sold slightly better than Paper Mario physical only.... so probably around 250k...Another flop

Xbox in last place... again. When the Switch 2 comes out, they're completely cooked.

So is Sony if they dont fix up.

 

[voke]

Didnt square themselves say the game under perfromed? Its one thing for Phils cult to say it, whole other thing for the company to say it themselves.

Nope, it was that doomer who works for bloomberg. Square didn't say anything, which doesn't indicate a flop, just indicates no records were broken. the game is on its way to 5 million LTD after PC port. In no universe is that a flop IMO. I think the trilogy will top out at 20 million sold.

 

[2spooky5me]

@Kokoloko

I just want a traditional, COMPETENT: Twisted Metal and Socom.
If those do well, next-gen can get Killzone/Resistance.

Not too much, but just enough to diversify a bit (for a single/multiplayer hybrid of games).

 

[Kokoloko]

As if every other publisher wasn't trying to have a GaaS in the top 10 as well. There is very little point to go all in on trying to land a hit, even Helldivers 2 doesn't seem to have been enough and that was extremely successful and above any expectations.

Sony has alot of great studios, they have a better chance of making a top 10 Gaas title then most places. And it actually being good. You cant expect them not to try. Trying to land a hit is always the point for them. Im happy with small titles too, but they want need a big profit online game.

Im not happy with how they done work these last 5-6 Years, but they have to try.

They just need to balance out the other genres, double down on the SP too

 

[On Demand]

How are people still buying Xboxes at all?

Switch is outselling it and it’s behind Xbox 360 in its strongest market. Looks like nobody is buying it.