PlayStation 4 and Xbox One thrive in 2015 despite flat consumer spending on gaming

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continue to build substantial audiences of gamers willing to spend cash, and 2015 is proof of that.

The game industry made $13.1 billion in revenue from new hardware and software sold at U.S. retailers, industry-tracking firm The NPD Group reported yesterday. That matches the $13.1 billion consumers spent in 2014. But that revenue only came in flat because increased spending on interactive toys and accessories made up for a drop in hardware and software spending. None of this means that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are floundering. Instead, those systems are making more money while their predecessors’ sales continue to wither.