U.S. console-hardware spending hits mammoth $420 million in April

You’ve heard the reports that more people turned to video games for entertainment and socialization in April. But now, industry-tracking firm The NPD Group is putting some more numbers to that narrative. Consumers in the United States spent $420 million on new Nintendo Switch, Xbox Ones, and PlayStation 4s last month. That represents a huge year-over-year increase. Gaming sales hit an overall record in April.

“Hardware spending in April 2020 grew 163% when compared to a year ago, to $420 million,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “This is the highest total for an April month since the $427 million total achieved in April 2008. Year-to-date spending reached $1.2 billion, a 30% increase when compared to a year ago.”