April 2021 NPD: Returnal, MLB, and Pokémon maintain momentum for game sales

Spending on video games in the United States for April dipped slightly compared to same period in 2020, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. But this is still a win for the industry. April 2020 saw a huge jump in revenue due to the growing number of stay-at-home orders in response to the pandemic. So even a slight dip is a good sign for gamemakers that they were able to maintain much of that momentum.

“April 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content, and accessories totaled $4.6 billion, a decline of 2% when compared to a year ago,” said NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella. “Year-to-date consumer spending reached $19.6 billion, 21% higher than the first four months of 2020.”