Zelda Tears of the Kingdom dominated US game industry sales in May
It’s already the second biggest game of the year based on boxed sales alone
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo Switch dominated US games industry sales in May.
According to Circana (formerly NPD Group) analyst Mat Piscatella, Tears of the Kingdom fuelled growth across all market segments (hardware, software and accessories) last month.
Nintendo doesn’t provide digital sales data, but based on the title’s boxed sales alone, it is already the second biggest game of the year behind Hogwarts Legacy.
Warner’s title jumped from No.6 on April’s chart to No.2 following the release of the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game in early May.
Tears of the Kingdom was the only new release to make May’s top 20 software chart. Its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, jumped from No.28 in April to No.13.
Circana said hardware spending in May hit $338 million – the highest total for a May month since the $427 million generated in 2008.
Switch was the top platform in both unit and dollar sales last month, while PS5 continues to lead the hardware market across both units and dollars year to date.
Total US consumer spending on game hardware, content and accessories in May was up 12% year-over-year to $4.1 billion. Year-to-date consumer spending is flat at $21.8 billion.
