Sony may be keeping things concerningly close to its chest, but make no mistake: the PlayStation 5 is a runaway freight train that’s going to be difficult to slow down. February’s NPD report, which tracks hardware and software sales in the United States, reveals that the next-gen PlayStation is now the fastest selling format in US history, based on dollar sales across its first four months on the market. Not bad for an appliance you can’t readily buy.
Despite the juggernaut status of the new console, it’s still getting beaten by the Nintendo Switch, which was once again the best-selling system of the month. It’s now exceeded the Nintendo DS in terms of lifetime dollar sales, which is a staggering statistic really. Spend across the entire industry continues to be strong as a result: February 2021 saw a 35 per cent bump year-over-year, with the industry as a whole tallying a record $4.6 billion.
Among the new releases, both Persona 5 Strikers and Little Nightmares 2 did much better than expected, securing third and sixth position respectively. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, perhaps refuelled by the PS5’s stock situation, continues to do well in fourth place as well. Meanwhile, the DualSense controller has retained its position as the industry’s most popular accessory – we’re really looking forward to all the different colours Sony will presumably introduce later in the year.
NPD Software Top 20: February 2021
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury*
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Persona 5 Strikers
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Madden NFL 21
- Little Nightmares 2
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- FIFA 21
- NBA 2K21*
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate*
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Super Mario 3D AllStars*
- Ring Fit Adventure*
- Just Dance 2021
- Minecraft: PS4 Edition
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
NPD PS5, PS4 Software: February 2021
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Persona 5 Strikers
- Madden NFL 21
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Minecraft: PS4 Edition
- NBA 2K21
- FIFA 21
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Little Nightmares 2
NPD Best-Selling Games of 2021
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Madden NFL 21
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Persona 5 Strikers
- Ring Fit Adventure*
* Digital sales not included
[source twitter.com, via resetera.com]
Comments 21
February 2021 saw a 35 per cent bump year-over-year, with the industry as a whole tallying a record $4.6 billion.
Just for context, MS bought Bethesda for $7.9 billion. So almost twice as much as a bumper month during the start of a new console cycle where stocks are limited and selling out.
What a huge wedge of cheddar!!
Who needs Bethesda ay?
@Futureshark can thank the pandemic for that, staying indoors for almost a year has created a bigger need for gaming and more people got through backlogs meaning more new games bought, and more gamers created
Play Has No Limits...
Other than stock shortages
Where's GTA V? Did news of a next-gen remaster temporarily kill off sales?
And good on Atlus for their success with Persona 5 Strikers. Always happy to see their games doing well.
Damn, imagine if the thing were easy to find? I’m still the only person I know who has PS5.
👑 king sony.🤔bluepoint is waiting for aquisition.word up son
Amazing, simply amazing!
Would be interesting to see if there's plenty of stock everywhere how many Sony would sell each month?
This is dollars not units and it is being beaten by a 4 year old system that has yet to have a price cut although it is cheaper. Unfair competition considering there is a shortage of PS5s though. Wonder how the stats would play out if there wasn't a shortage of the console?
It's all about stock, ps5 can sells better if the stock situations improve
@AhmadSumadi my friend's list is turning PS5 as the weeks go by.
@Enigk I always grit my teeth when people compare Switch sales to that of literally any other console... like c’mon it’s practically HALF the price of the competition!! Game sales figures are totally safe to compare though and Nintendo is on another level there
"It’s now exceeded the Nintendo DS in terms of lifetime dollar sales, which is a staggering statistic really."
considering the system sold for 100 to 150 most of its life. Not all that impressed. Switch really hasn't had a price drop in 4 years. That isn't even getting into inflation and everything else involved. This is why you list unit numbers and not cash.
@2cents The article points out Switch sales so I was just commenting on that but you have to look at the long term anyway and as it stands the PS4 sold about the same amount worldwide in 4 years as the Switch in the same amount of time. How does the PS5 compare to the PS4 at same point? How many PS5s would be sold if there wasn't a stock shortage. Is that hampering or driving sales? The Switch is 4 years old so sales should be waning by now. The stats in the article basically say something that is more expensive than something else made more money. If you sold 1 of each that would also be the case. It's easy to pick stats that make you look good. Nintendo made more profit on those lower dollar sales than Sony.
Looks as though sonys doing alright...is that the naysayers i can hear crying?
@Trajan -Runs to twitter "WiiU is Best Selling Console says NPD!!"
@AhmadSumadi Facts, I gave up and just bought another PS4 Slim. I'll try again in the fall maybe if they become easier to get otherwise it will be spring 2022. And I've owned every Sony console nearly at launch since PS1 too. I still think most sales are scalpers as ebay is full of them.
@David187 For me that’s true of the friends I’ve met through online gaming. But none of my local friends seem to have a PS5.
Wouldn't that be most profitable but not necessarily fastest selling?
Sony, you have to increase the production.
I'm also the only person I know who has PS5.
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