PS5 is now the fastest selling console in US history in both unit and dollar sales

PlayStation 5 is now the fastest selling video game hardware platform in US history, according to market research firm NPD Group.

That’s based on both unit and dollar sales generated by Sony’s console after five months of availability, NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said on Friday.

The console previously held the record for dollar sales based on four months on the market.

However, the supply constrained PS5 was only the second best-selling hardware platform in March, trailing Nintendo Switch in both unit and dollar sales.

Nintendo’s system has now been the best-selling console in the US for a record 28 consecutive months based on units sold.

Hardware dollar sales came in at a March record of $680 million, besting the previous high of $552 million set in March 2008.

Total consumer spending on video game hardware, content and accessories last month also hit a March record $5.6 billion.

On the software front, in terms of dollar sales, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War returned to the top of the monthly best-sellers chart in March. It was also the best-selling title of both the first quarter and the 12 months ended in March.

Switch exclusive Monster Hunter Rise was the highest new entry on the chart at No.2, and the game now trails only Monster Hunter World in terms of the Capcom franchise’s US dollar sales.

Fellow new release Outriders charted at No.3, having ranked as the third best-selling game on both Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

March’s fifth best-selling game, November 2020 release Spider-Man Miles Morales, has now outsold both The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, which were released in June and July 2020 respectively.

And Mario Kart 8, which charted at No.6 in March, has also become the best-selling racing game in US history.