PS5 led US console sales in January, as Modern Warfare 2 held off Dead Space

PlayStation 5 led US console sales in January 2023, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the month’s best-selling game.

Sony’s console topped the hardware rankings in both unit and dollar sales, with Switch second across both measures and Xbox Series X/S in third place, according to market research firm the NPD Group.

Following an apparent end to long-running supply issues, PS5 is benefitting from more readily available stock in key markets. UK sales in January 2023 were double those of a year earlier, while in Japan the console has just enjoyed its biggest sales week since launch.

NPD said on Monday that Modern Warfare 2 was the US market’s No.1 game for the fourth consecutive month, based on dollar sales.

It held the top spot ahead of Dead Space. EA’s horror remake was released for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on January 27, and ranked at No.2 on the monthly software chart based on just two days of availability (NPD’s reporting period covers January 1-28).

Three other new entries made the monthly top 20. Following its Switch release on January 20, Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Engage charted at No.5 based on physical sales alone (the platform holder doesn’t share digital sales data).

Square Enix’s Forspoken, which was released for PS5 and PC on January 24, debuted at No.7, while Bandai Namco’s One Piece Odyssey charted at No.9.

Further reading

Switch topped US console unit sales in 2022 as wider industry sales declined 5%

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was last year’s best-selling game

The Last of Us: Part I jumped from No.36 on December’s chart to No.11 in January following a sales boost that coincided with the launch of HBO’s TV adaptation.

Monster Hunter: Rise was also up from No.68 in December to No.13 in January thanks to the release of the PlayStation and Xbox versions of the game.

Overall consumer spending on game hardware, content and accessories in January totalled $4.35 billion. That was down 5% compared to January 2022, marking the first time the market has experienced a year-on-year decline since last September.