What you need to know
- The latest report from Circana gives insight into the best-selling games and hardware of March 2024 in the U.S.
- Dragon's Dogma 2 is the best-selling game of March 2024 in the U.S.
- Helldivers 2 is currently the best-selling game of the year in the U.S.
- PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, with all console hardware down at least 30% year-over-year.
The numbers are in, and we've got some interesting video game sales data to pour over.
Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2 was the best-selling game of March 2024 in the U.S, per Circana executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella via Twitter. Piscatella notes that Helldivers 2 — the best-seller of February 2024 — was the second best-selling game of March, and remains the best-selling game of the year overall.
For console hardware, the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month. Nintendo Switch was the second best-seller in units sold, while Xbox Series X|S was in second place for dollar sales. All three consoles were down "a minimum" of 30% year-over-year.
Overall, the gaming industry in the U.S. saw $4.88 billion in revenue, with growth in mobile game spending offsetting drops in gaming hardware. Below, you can find lists of the best-selling games of the month and the year so far in the U.S. As always, keep in mind that Circana tracks dollar sales, not copies sold, and that some developers and publishers choose not to share some data. For example, Nintendo does not share digital sales data, only physical.
March 2024 Circana: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.
1. Dragon's Dogma 2
2. Helldivers 2
3. MLB The Show 24**
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
5. Rise of the Ronin
6. Princess Peach: Showtime!*
7. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
8. Unicorn Overlord
9. WWE 2K24*
10. Hogwarts Legacy
11. Madden NFL 24
12. EA Sports FC 24
13. Minecraft
14. Horizon Forbidden West
15. Tekken 8
16. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
17. Elden Ring
18. Mario Kart 8*
19. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
20. Mortal Kombat 1
March 2024 Circana: Here are the best-selling games of the year so far
1. Helldivers 2
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
3. Dragon's Dogma 2
4. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
5. MLB The Show 24**
6. Tekken 8
7. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
8. Madden NFL 24
9. Persona 3 Reload
10. Hogwarts Legacy
11. EA Sports FC 24
12. Skull and Bones
13. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
14. Rise of the Ronin
15. Super Mario Bros. Wonder*
16. Elden Ring
17. Minecraft
18. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
19. The Last of Us Part 2
20. Mortal Kombat 1
* Denotes no physical sales data
** Denotes no Xbox/Nintendo Switch sales data
Analysis: Great games, but that hardware...
First, I'm extremely happy to see Dragon's Dogma 2 starting out the gate strong. I know the original is a cult classic for so many, so seeing its long-awaited sequel perform like this has to be invigorating for fans and Capcom alike.
The other big takeaway is that Helldivers 2 is a massive hit for Arrowhead Game Studios and PlayStation. The former has done a fantastic job updating it and keeping the live service aspect refreshing, not exhausting, and I'm looking forward to continuing to spread democracy for months (if not years) to come.
Hardware sales though...jeez. While some of it is to be expected — the Nintendo Switch first launched in 2017, it desperately needs its successor — that is a rough drop-off overall no matter how you slice things up. There's myriad reasons for it (and I'm working on something right now talking about these reasons) but studios and publishers need to keep a broad approach right now to avoid being dragged down by a lack of console growth.
