NPD March 2021: PlayStation 5 is the best-selling console in the US ever

Video game hardware sales rose 47 percent in March, according to industry watchdog The NPD Group. This increase comes despite the increase in sales that began last year due to the start of pandemic home stay orders. And while the Switch continues to fuel these sales, so does the Xbox, and especially the PlayStation 5.

“March sales of video game hardware in March were 47% higher than a year ago, at a record $ 680 million in March,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. $ 1.4 billion, up 81% from a year ago. ”

Switch, which continues to sell despite higher comparatively availability, led the month.

“Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars in March,” Piscatella said. “In the first quarter, the Nintendo Switch was the leader in unit sales, while the PlayStation 5 ranked first in hardware dollar sales.”

But the limited availability of the new generation of consoles is not unusual. Despite its small offer, the PS5 is at a record pace of sales in the US

“PlayStation 5 is the best-selling console in US history in both unit sales and dollars [through] sales for five months on the market, ”said Piscatella.

For now, Microsoft and Sony continue to sell almost every console they make. And these sales would certainly be higher if they could produce more systems.

Accessories also continued record sales in March

The NPD also pursued a new level of sales in March for video game accessories.

“March 2021 spending on video game accessories reached a record $ 300 million in March,” Piscatella said. “[That’s] 26% higher than a year ago. Dollar sales of first-quarter accessories totaled $ 717 million, up 42 percent from a year ago. ”

And while console and software sales may reveal excitement among gamers, peripheral sales are even more illustrative. People buy new controllers and headphones because they know they are invested in the new generation in the long run.

This leads to strong sales for the DualSense gamepad.

“The PS5 DualSense White wireless controller was the main accessory in dollar sales for both March and the first quarter,” said Piscatella.

And this momentum should last the rest of the year.