Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

State of the market
U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware and accessories fell 7% when compared to a year ago, to $5.9 billion. The decline was driven by a 24% drop in hardware spending and a 3% dip in content.

November video game content spending dropped 3% when compared to a year ago, to $4.6 billion. An 11% decline in Console & Portable Content spending was partially offset by 3% growth across each of the Mobile, Subscription, and 'PC, Cloud & Non-Console VR' Content segments. A primary driver of the year-on-year decline in Console & Portable Content was the comparable strength of the new release slate. November 2022 featured the launches of both God of War: Ragnarök and Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet.

Hardware
November video game hardware spending fell 24% when compared to a year ago, to $964 million. All current generation consoles experienced a double-digit percentage decline in dollar sales when compared to a year ago, with Nintendo Switch showing the sharpest drop year-on-year.

PlayStation 5 remained the best-selling hardware platform in both unit and dollar sales during November 2023. Xbox Series ranked 2nd across both measures. Year-to-date hardware spending fell 1% when compared to the same period in 2022, at $5.0 billion. PlayStation 5 remains the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars 2023 year-to-date, with Nintendo Switch placing 2nd across both measures.

PlayStation Portal debuted as the #4 best-selling hardware platform of November with the limited quantities available at launch selling out.

Software
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was the best-selling game of November, instantly becoming the 2nd best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date. It is the 5th consecutive year that a Call of Duty title was November’s best-seller (Red Dead Redemption II ranked 1st in Nov 2018). According to Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, Call of Duty HQ (which includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III player activity) ranked 2nd in monthly active users across both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles during the month of November, trailing only Fortnite.

Hogwarts Legacy ranked 3rd in November full game dollar sales, driven by the launch of the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Hogwarts Legacy ranked as the #2 best-selling title on Nintendo Switch during November. Hogwarts Legacy remains the best-selling game of 2023 YTD.

Assisted by price promotion, Just Dance 2024 Edition jumped from #73 on the best-selling charts in October to 20th in November. Nintendo Switch was Just Dance 2024 Edition’s leading sales platform during the month.

Inclusion in subscription offerings helped several titles see active user count boosts. On PS5, Aliens: Fireteam Elite ranked 11th in monthly active users during Nov, up from #714 in Oct. On Xbox Series consoles, Wild Hearts jumped from 501st in October MAU to #18 in November.

On Steam, Lethal Company ranked 2nd in monthly active users in Nov, behind only Counter-Strike 2. The title placed 115th in October. Half-Life increased from #383 in October to 20th in November thanks to the release of the Half-Life 25th Anniversary Update during the month.

Sales of Digital at Retail products (including point of sale activated gift cards and digital codes on receipt) showed single-digit percentage dollar sales growth in Nov vs YA. Nov consumer spending on Roblox and Fortnite digital at retail products each more than doubled vs YA.

Mobile
Sensor Tower reported the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in Nov and the rank change from Oct as: MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Coin Master (+1), Pokémon GO, Jackpot Party – Casino Slots, Gardenscapes, Evony (+2) and Township (-1).

“US mobile gaming spend in Nov 2023 showed another modest increase (+2.6%) compared to Nov 2022. Looking at the top games, we seem to have reached a fairly stable hierarchy, with MONOPOLY GO! showing no signs of giving over the number one spot,” said Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower.

Accessories
November 2023 accessories spending increased 3% when compared to a year ago, to $303 million, driven by 8% growth in gamepad spending. The PS5 Dual Sense Wireless Controller Midnight Black was again the month’s best-selling accessory in consumer spending.

Software charts

Year To Date

Monthly Active User Engagement

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

YTD Units: PS5 > NSW > XBS
YTD Revenue: PS5 > NSW > XBS

Thanks Mat Piscatella and Welfare from Installbase forum!

 

[Luminoth-4545]

EDIT: Added estimates for November.

November estimations

PS5 - 1050k
XBS - 580k
NSW - 570k

Full Estimations for 2023

Month	PS5	XBS	NSW
Jan-23	430,000	200,000	280,000
Feb-23	560,000	240,000	290,000
Mar-23	660,000	280,000	340,000
Apr-23	360,000	180,000	420,000
May-23	270,000	160,000	450,000
Jun-23	430,000	240,000	350,000
Jul-23	270,000	160,000	240,000
Aug-23	400,000	210,000	200,000
Sep-23	490,000	300,000	200,000
Oct -23	370,000	200,000	210,000
Nov - 23	1,050,000	580,000	570,000
YTD	5,300,000	2,750,000	3,550,000
LTD	17,200,000	12,450,000	42,960,000

Results for 2022 (NSW monthly numbers are Welfare's revised estimates but it's total is from NPD, PS5 and XBS monthly and total numbers are from NPD)

Month	PS5	XBS	NSW
Jan-22	369,000	307,000	270,000
Feb-22	128,000	261,000	410,000
Mar-22	282,000	489,000	540,000
Apr-22	234,000	267,000	365,000
May-22	119,000	177,000	270,000
Jun-22	277,000	260,000	385,000
Jul-22	301,000	147,000	310,000
Aug-22	341,000	251,000	295,000
Sep-22	494,00	288,000	325,000
Oct-22	456,000	261,000	250,000
Nov-22	1,328,000	730,000	920,000
Dec-22	1,331,000	942,000	1,490,000
Total	5,660,000	4,480,000	5,830,000
LTD	11,900,000	9,700,000	39,410,000

* Estimates as of November 30, 2023.

 

[Interfectum]

Fortnite wins even before the big event. Gonna slay in December.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

COD is still a juggernaut.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[midnightAI]

Someone needs to correct them about Portal

 

[DrFigs]

the portal being out of stock is so odd. did they think no one wanted it? where did they get that idea?

 

[SlimySnake]

Hardware sales being down double digits means they need a bigger price cut ASAP. The consoles were bundled to hell and back but most people who would spend $500 on a console already have one.

Time for a permanent price cut to $349 or risk a stagnating player base.

 

[Mr Moose]

Hardware sales being down double digits means they need a bigger price cut ASAP. The consoles were bundled to hell and back but most people who would spend $500 on a console already have one.

Time for a permanent price cut to $349 or risk a stagnating player base.

It's not units, so if they drop the price more it would be even lower.

 

[ByWatterson]

When will people realize that Spider-Man is niche?

 

[adamsapple]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was the best-selling game of November, instantly becoming the 2nd best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date.

Not bad for DLC.

 

[SlimySnake]

It's not units, so if they drop the price more it would be even lower.

Pretty sure the units are down too. Otherwise they wouldnt have seen a double digit dip in dollars.

This is next gen's 4th holiday season. They should not have peaked already.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Pretty sure the units are down too. Otherwise they wouldnt have seen a double digit dip in dollars.

This is next gen's 4th holiday season. They should not have peaked already.

Nintendo Switch HW sales are down a lot from last year so I bet this is one of the main contributing factors. Likewise, both Xbox Series and PS5 were on substantial discounts last month while this was not necessarily the case in Nov 22.

 

[Mr Moose]

Not bad for DLC.

Miles Morales charting, too. People love DLC confirmed.

 

[adamsapple]

Miles Morales charting, too. People love DLC confirmed.

GOW: Ragnarok also on there, your theory is confirmed

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Hardware sales being down double digits means they need a bigger price cut ASAP. The consoles were bundled to hell and back but most people who would spend $500 on a console already have one.

Time for a permanent price cut to $349 or risk a stagnating player base.

What...? This is spendings...not units. The more they decrease the price, the more they decrease in spendings.
They probably sold more units than last year, specially the PS5.

 

[DrFigs]

Pretty sure the units are down too. Otherwise they wouldnt have seen a double digit dip in dollars.

This is next gen's 4th holiday season. They should not have peaked already.

Apparently the ps4's first price drop was 2 years in. So we are overdue for one really for PS5 and Xbox Series X

 

[MisterXDTV]

Switch sales are dead, Xbox sales are dead.....

Guess what's left?

 

[SlimySnake]

What...? This is spendings...not units. The more they decrease the price, the more they decrease in spendings.
They probably sold more units than last year, specially the PS5.

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Anyway, incredible stability for Spider-Man 2, going from #1 to #2 in such a busy month and only on PS5. Miles Morales also showing up like that...and even God of War Ragnarok.
Ragnarok may even increase with the DLC releasing this month, who knows. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

[The Last One]

Damn Xbox YTD must be really low. And this is its only relevant market.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

I still can't believe Hogwarts Legacy didn't get nominated for anything. People want this game to go away so bad....lol
I hope they make another one.

 

[The Last One]

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

This probably indicates they had an almost 24% drop in their prices actually.

 

[Mr Moose]

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

You could get a Series X for $350.

 

[LordCBH]

Can’t believe so many people bought shit ass MW2.3

 

[DrFigs]

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

It indicates a drop in sales for some platforms, but it's hard to say if this is alarming without more details. Switch sales have definitely plummeted. Is that alarming in its 6th year on market?

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

Some of these consoles had discounts of over 30%. None of this is surprising.

 

[Bernoulli]

Not bad for the PS Portal

 

[yazenov]

No mention of Call of Duty MW3 comparisons to the previous version? It declined in the UK by 38% so I guess the US would be the same.

 

[jm89]

Massive drops for all three in unit sales.

 

[Deerock71]

It's reports like this that makes me say wait for actual numbers before spouting off about how a product during the holiday season sold out.

 

[Mownoc]

Hardware revenue is down 24%. Nearly 1 quarter. That indicates a massive drop in unit sales.

Switch unit sales will be down quite a bit YoY if Xbox is ahead of it. The other two I'll wait for more info.

Both Xbox and PS5 were available for far cheaper this year than last year so even a fairly big decline in revenue doesn't necessarily mean less units sold.

Edit: and looks like PS5/Xbox are both down in units.

 

[FrankWza]

Not bad for the PS Portal

The first time something was Resurrected after dying on arrival despite being sold out of preorders and was prereturned by confused parents buying the item for 50% markup on aftermarket sites.
Seriously, who asked for that thing?

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

ah, nvm.

 

[Dr_Ifto]

Man, its weird seeing the #3 best selling game be blank for November.

/s

But seriously, I know a lot of people who just picked it up cause of the sales. Should have been nominated for something at TGA. I loved the game, but can see why people thought it was a chore.

Revelio!

 

[Bernoulli]

COD downfall

 

[DrFigs]

Not bad for the PS Portal

What is it beating out? the rog ally? the playdate? idk what we're comparing its success to if it's in 4th place.

 

[SlimySnake]

It's not units, so if they drop the price more it would be even lower.

What...? This is spendings...not units. The more they decrease the price, the more they decrease in spendings.
They probably sold more units than last year, specially the PS5.

This probably indicates they had an almost 24% drop in their prices actually.

Some of these consoles had discounts of over 30%. None of this is surprising.

I will tell you guys what I always tell my wife during arguments..... Just trust what I am saying. I am always right.

 

[MisterXDTV]

What is it beating out? the rog ally? the playdate? idk what we're comparing its success to if it's in 4th place.

It sold out.... Can't ask for more than that for an accessory....

 

[SlimySnake]

What is it beating out? the rog ally? the playdate? idk what we're comparing its success to if it's in 4th place.

1. PS5
2. XS
3. Switch
4. Portal

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Massive drops for all three in unit sales.

wow...over 20% less in units sold for all 3?
PS5 isn't hitting those 25M units sold almost for sure then. Unless Sony somehow expected this.

 

[DrFigs]

Surprising that the ps5 would be down > 20% in units. How is that even possible with the price cuts. I would say that's very bad.

 

[Pelta88]

 

[Little Chicken]

Five first party MS games in the YTD Top 10

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Surprising that the ps5 would be down > 20% in units. How is that even possible with the price cuts. I would say that's very bad.

Specially with promos and slim releasing. I'm sure Sony is surprised by that.

 

[MisterXDTV]

Surprising that the ps5 would be down > 20% in units. How is that even possible with the price cuts. I would say that's very bad.

November 2022 was the first month without shortages, so it was big

PS5 has had 100-200% increases every month in 2023, who cares about November?

 

[jm89]

Surprising that the ps5 would be down > 20% in units. How is that even possible with the price cuts. I would say that's very bad.

Yeah it's not great.

But for the PS5 other regions will at least cover for it somewhat.

Price cuts are needed next year.

 

[Luminoth-4545]

Nov 22'

PS5 - 1328k
NSW - 920k est.
XBS - 730k

Total -2978k

Nov 23'

PS5 - < 1062k (-20%)
XBS - < 584k (-20%)
NSW - lower than XBS

Yikes, bad results for all. Nintendo have a very old system for an excuse but for XBS and PS5 this is not good, especially for XBS that only sold 730k last November.

 

[Mownoc]

November 2022 was around this:
PS5: 1.33m
NSW: 0.95m
XBS: 0.73m

So best case scenario for all consoles we are looking at this:
PS5: 1.06m
XBS: 0.58m
NSW: 0.57m

Pretty terrible result for November for everyone. I wonder if we will have a stronger than usual December because of this.

 

[Mr Hyde]

PS5 is super expensive where I live, close to 700 dollars and that's for a fucking slim edition. Inflation sucks ass but Sony thinking they are a premium brand nickeling and diming at every opportunity is even worse.