The U.S. gaming industry finished strong in 2022 despite it being an otherwise slow year, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. While the year overall was down slightly — in line with the common view that 2022 is a “bust” corrective year following the pandemic boom — spending on hardware and subscriptions boosted sales to a slight year-over-year increase for December.
December 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions
Dec 2021
Dec 2022
Change
Total Video Game Sales
$7,428
$7,583
2%
Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms)
$5,597
$5,547
-1%
Video Game Hardware
$1,319
$1,533
16%
Video Game Accessories
$512
$503
-2%
*Mobile spending provided by Sensor Tower
“U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware and accessories totaled $7.6 billion in December 2022, an increase of 2% when compared to a year ago,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “Video game hardware spending grew 16%, offsetting declines in both content (-1%) and accessories (-2%).”
Unlock premium content and VIP community perks with GB M A X! Join now to enjoy our free and premium perks.
Rachel Kaser is a gaming and technology writer for from Dallas, Texas. She's been in the games industry since 2013, writing for various publications, and currently covers news for GamesBeat. Her favorite game is Bayonetta.
GamesBeat