The January 2024 US sales report by Circana, the research group formerly known as NPD, provides insights into the best-selling games during the month. Notably, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III from 2023 retained its position as the top-selling game in January 2024. Following closely behind were Tekken 8 at No. 2 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League at No. 3. Despite its popularity, Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, did not appear on the sales charts due to the lack of shared sales information. However, the game’s engagement levels were impressive, with it being the most popular game on Steam in terms of monthly active users.
Palworld’s success on Steam and Xbox, along with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown ranking at No. 13, were significant highlights in January 2024. While Palworld, with 25 million players and significant sales on Steam and Xbox, garnered attention for its unique gameplay, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown emerged as one of the best games of 2024 for those seeking new gaming experiences. For mobile games, Monopoly Go led consumer spending, followed by Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, and Coin Master in the top five.
In terms of hardware sales, total spending fell by 4% to $378 million in January 2024. Despite this, Xbox Series X|S consoles saw growth, while PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch experienced year-over-year declines. The PS5 secured its position as the best-selling console for both units and dollar sales, with the Switch coming in second for units sold and Xbox Series X|S for dollar sales due to its higher price point. Circana’s report also indicated that the PS5’s sales performance outpaced that of the PS4 and PS3 during similar timeframes in the US.
Accessory spending, on the other hand, saw a significant increase of 45% to $246 million, with the PS5 DualSense Edge emerging as the best-selling game accessory in terms of dollar sales. The addition of the PlayStation Portal device to the accessories category further boosted accessory spending, ranking it at No. 5 for spending in January 2025. Overall, total spending on video games in the US surged by 15% to reach $5.1 billion in January 2024, attributed in part to the reporting period covering five weeks rather than the usual four weeks, extending from December 30, 2023, to February 3, 2024.
The January 2024 US sales report provides valuable insights into the gaming industry’s performance during the month, showcasing the top-selling games, hardware trends, and accessory sales. With notable releases like Palworld and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown making waves alongside established titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and popular mobile games, the gaming landscape continues to evolve and attract a diverse audience. It will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the coming months and what new releases will captivate gamers worldwide.
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