The UK month-to-month online game gross sales chart for March 2024

After a comparatively gradual begin to the 12 months, the month of March noticed a major rise in online game gross sales of simply over 25% in comparison with the earlier 12 months. Final month, all through the UK, a complete of three.65 million console and PC titles have been bought – each bodily and digitally mixed.

Helldivers 2, Sony’s latest squad-based shooter, topped the charts because the top-selling title for the second month straight. Nonetheless, the rise in gross sales throughout the UK in March was additionally because of the highly-anticipated launches of Last Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and WWE2K24.

Regardless that Last Fantasy VII: Rebirth was technically launched on February 29, the charts in March might be remembered for the showdown between the 2 Japanese RPGs – with Dragon’s Dogma 2 being the opposite one.

Regardless that each video games offered effectively and the numbers have been fairly shut, Dragon’s Dogma 2 got here out on high – though it didn’t launch till March 21 – and ended the month at No.3 within the charts. Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, then again, needed to accept the No.5 spot.

Slamming its approach in between the 2 sword-slashing journey video games and pinning down the No.4 spot for March was WWE 2K24. The discharge of the annual wrestling sport loved a greater begin this 12 months than that of its predecessor. Gross sales on WWE2K24 at the moment are not less than 8% greater than that of 2K23 after 4 weeks of comparative launch.

One considerably surprising title to enter the charts this previous month was a title whose identify hasn’t been talked about in years, Command & Conquer. In the beginning of March, EA launched a 17-game C&C final assortment on Steam, and each ‘Purple Alert 2’ and ‘Generals’ made it into the Prime 10, with eight different titles additionally making it into the Prime 20.

This C&C huge bundle launch utterly took over the charts, that means that different new releases and IPs, comparable to Rise of Ronin and Princess Peach: Showtime have been additional down the charts than they might have been in any other case and needed to accept locations outdoors the highest 20.

Though software program gross sales are on an upward development, the identical can’t precisely be mentioned for the {hardware} aspect of issues. Within the UK all through March, near 117,000 consoles have been offered, and regardless of this being a rise of round 22% in comparison with figures from February, it’s truly a lower of over 15% in comparison with final March.

The PlayStation 5 was as soon as once more the highest vendor, with round 25% extra gross sales than in February. Nonetheless, when juxtaposed with figures from final March, gross sales are down by round 9%. This may very well be due, partially, to the PS5 lastly changing into totally out there this time final 12 months and experiencing a large enhance in gross sales consequently.

Issues are related throughout the opposite console platforms, with gross sales of the Nintendo Change up by roughly 20% from the earlier month, however down by round 20% from the earlier 12 months. It’s just about the identical story with the Xbox Collection X/S, gross sales of which additionally elevated by round 19% from the month earlier than, but additionally skilled a lower of 18% when put next with figures from March 2023.

Within the equipment division, throughout March avid gamers bought a staggering 732,584 equipment within the UK. The place this differs from console gross sales is that gross sales on equipment have been each up from February by 20%, and up once more in comparison with final March by round 16%.

Recreation controllers have been flying off the cabinets up to now this 12 months, with the PS5 once more main the pack. Each the Midnight Black and White model DualSense controllers have been the No.1 and No.3 best-selling controllers respectively, with the DualSense Edge additionally taking the No.2 spot.

Nonetheless, it ought to be acknowledged that the White DualSense truly offered extra items, however with the DualSense Edge retailing for £209 in comparison with the £57 value level for the usual Black and White fashions, the Edge was technically capable of generate extra income general.

The one different actual controller-related entry of observe this previous month was the brand new pink Pleasure-Cons for the Nintendo Change, coinciding with the discharge of Princess Peach: Showtime, and though it offered comparatively effectively, it got here nowhere near the PS5 controller numbers.

Along with the success of sport controller gross sales, PC gaming keyboards and gaming mice have additionally been promoting fairly effectively in 2024. Swiss producer, Logitech, is main the market with the G502, G305, and G203 fashions. The truth is, the highest 10 highest-grossing gaming mice have been all from Logitech.

So far as keyboards go, the Belief GXT-830 and GXT-865 led the way in which, with the Logitech G213 simply behind – each GXT fashions have been on sale in March. By way of numbers, Add-on merchandise additionally offered effectively all through March and proceed to be one of many best-selling sides of the trade.