The NPD Group has released its latest monthly sales report, revealing the best-selling games, systems, and accessories for October 2021, and providing an overall snapshot of the health of the US gaming business.
In total, spending across hardware, software, and accessories rose by 16% to $4.4 billion, which is a new record for October. For the first 10 months of the year, total spending hit $46.7 billion, which is up 12%.
For hardware specifically, the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console for October in terms of unit and dollar sales alike. The launch of the Switch OLED model in October helped drive Switch sales overall, NPD said. The PS5 remains the best-selling console of 2021 by total dollars, but the Switch is the leader for units.
In October, total spending on hardware surged by 82% to $472 million, while year-to-date spending jumped 53% to $3.9 billion.
Shifting to games, Far Cry 6 was the best-selling game overall in the US during October 2021, while Back 4 Blood finished the month at No. 2.
Metroid: Dread, meanwhile, was the third best-selling game overall in the US. Launch-month sales for Dread were the highest ever for the Metroid series, while dollar sales for physical copies “nearly doubled” the previous record-holder, Metroid: Prime.
A list of the top 20 best-selling games of October 2021 can be seen below.
For mobile, total spending surpassed $2 billion for October, with Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, Roblox, Coin Master, Pokemon Go, Call of Duty Mobile, Homescapes, Lords Mobile, Clash Royale, and Genshin Impact driving the most revenue. Total spending on games in October hit $3.758 billion, up 11%.
For accessories, spending jumped by 5% to $158 million, with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller finishing as the best-selling accessory overall in October. The PS5 DualSense white controller, however, is the best-seller for the year so far.
Top 20 Best-Selling Games Of October 2021 (US)
Far Cry 6Back 4 BloodMetroid: Dread*Madden NFL 22Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami ChroniclesFIFA 22Marvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyMario Party Superstars*NHL 22NBA 2K22*Mario Kart 8*Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarGhost of TsushimaSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate*Animal Crossing: New Horizons*MinecraftMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesDiablo II: ResurrectedMortal Kombat 11The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
*Digital sales not included
All Platforms Year-To-Date Ending October 2021
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarMadden NFL 22MLB The Show 21^Resident Evil VillageSuper Mario 3D World*Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles MoralsesMario Kart 8*Far Cry 6MinecraftAssassin’s Creed Valhalla
* Digital sales not included
^ Xbox digital sales not included
October 2021 Nintendo
No digital sales included
Metroid DreadMario Party SuperstarsMario Kart 8Super Smash Bros. UltimateAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildPokemon Sworld/ShieldSuper Mario 3D WorldMinecraftNew Super Mario Bros.
October 2021 PlayStation
Far Cry 6Back 4 BloodMadden NFL 22FIFA 22Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami ChroniclesMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy NHL 22NBA 2K22*Ghost of TsushimaMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
*Digital sales not included
October 2021 Xbox
Far Cry 6Back 4 BloodMadden NFL 22FIFA 22Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami ChroniclesNHL 22Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarMarvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyNBA 2K22*Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
* Digital sales not included
