Hardware spending in March 2020 grew 63% when compared to a year ago, to $461m. Nintendo Switch hardware sales more than doubled when compared to a year ago, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One each grew by more than 25 percent.
Nintendo Switch set a new all-time record for hardware unit sales in a March month, besting the previous high set by Nintendo Switch in its March 2017 launch month.
Nintendo Switch generated the highest first quarter unit sales for any hardware platform since the Nintendo DS in the first quarter of 2010.
Dollar sales of tracked Video Game Software grew 34% in March compared to a YA, to $739m. March tracked software spending reached its highest total for a March month since 2011 ($787m). Total first quarter tracked software spending fell 8 percent, to $1.4B.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the best-selling game of March 2020, despite the lack of digital tracking for Nintendo published software. Animal Crossing: New Horizons instantly becomes the 2nd best-selling game of 2020.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons achieved the 3rd highest launch month physical dollar and unit sales of any Nintendo published game in tracked history. Only Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Dec 2018) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Mar 2008) sold more in the launch month.
Launch month dollar sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have exceeded the lifetime sales of all other Animal Crossing franchise games, making Animal Crossing: New Horizons the best-selling game in franchise history.
MLB The Show 20 was the 3rd best-selling game of March 2020, and instantly becomes the 5th best-selling game of 2020. MLB The Show 20 is the fastest selling game in MLB The Show franchise history, with launch month sales exceeding those of MLB The Show 19.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the #2 best-selling game of March 2020 and is now the best-selling game of 2020 year-to-date. March sales of Call of Duty franchise titles reached a new all-time high for a March month, exceeding the previous peak set in March 2010.
March 2020 tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards totaled $1.6 billion, gaining 35 percent when compared to a year ago. This is the highest reported spend for a March month since the $1.8 billion achieved in March 2008.
Year-to-date 2020 tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards totaled $3.0 billion, declining 4 percent when compared to a year ago.
The only industry to grow during a pandemic! Oil BTFO
Ethan Moore
>Nintendo Switch generated the highest first quarter unit sales for any hardware platform since the Nintendo DS in the first quarter of 2010 It prints money.
