Best-Selling Games And Consoles Of September 2022 Revealed

The NPD Group has released its latest monthly sales report, this one covering September 2022, showing which games and consoles sold the best in the US. The report also shines a light on how the US games industry is performing overall.

Total spending on video games in the US in September--covering games, hardware, and accessories--amounted to $4.1 billion. That was down 4% compared to September 2021. Hardware, however, experienced year-over-year gains. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles saw double-digit percentage growth. For the year so far, total spending on video games in the US reached $38.4 billion, which is down 8%.

For games specifically, spending dropped by 7% in September 2022, declining to $3.4 billion. FIFA 23 was September's top-selling game overall, followed by Madden NFL 23 and NBA 2K23. Splatoon 3 landed at No. 4, which is an impressive result given that NPD's chart doesn't include digital sales from Nintendo.

FIFA 23 topping the charts is also notable because it launched on September 27, which was right at the end of NPD's reporting period for the month (August 27-October 1).

For hardware, sales rose 19% year-over-year, with September marking the third straight month of double-digit percentage growth. NPD said that better supply of the PS5, in particular, led to the gains in spending for consoles. The PS5 was the best-selling console in September for unit sales and dollar sales, with Nintendo Switch ranking second for unit sales and Xbox landing second for dollar sales.

For accessories, September spending was $174 million, which was flat compared to September 2021. This is actually good news, though, as September 2022 was the first month since October 2021 when the accessories category did not see a year-over-year decline in spending. The Xbox carbon black controller was September's best-selling accessory for unit and dollar sales.

In the mobile game department, spending dropped by 5% year-over-year. "Compared to other mobile apps, spending in games accounted for 54% of total mobile spend vs. 60% a year ago. While new game installs generally see a seasonal slowdown during the month of September, this year's decline was particularly sharp, driven by a 40% year-over-year decline in new installs of hypercasual games," NPD said. "New game installs in September were down 3% year over year and at the lowest point since before February of 2019."

September 2022 Best-Selling Games In The US

1. FIFA 23
2. Madden NFL 23
3. NBA 2K23*
4. Splatoon 3*
5. The Last of Us: Part I
6. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
7. Saints Row
8. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
9. Elden Ring
10. Mario Kart 8*
11. Minecraft
12. Marvel's Spider-Man
13. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
14. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
15. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
16. Horizon Forbidden West
17. Call of Duty: Vanguard
18. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
19. MLB The Show 22^
20. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

*Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

Year-To-Date 2022 Top 10 Games

1. Elden Ring
2. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
3. Madden NFL 23
4. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
5. Horizon Forbidden West
6. MLB The Show 22^
7. Call of Duty: Vanguard
8. Gran Turismo 7
9. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
10. Mario Kart 8*

*Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

12 Months Ending September 2022 Top 10 Games

1. Elden Ring
2. Call of Duty: Vanguard
3. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
4. Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl*
5. Battlefield 2042
6. Madden NFL 23
7. Far Cry 6
8. Madden NFL 22
9. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
10. Horizon Forbidden West

*Digital sales not included

September 2022 Top 10 Nintendo Games

1. Splatoon 3*
2. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
3. Mario Kart 8*
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
6. Animal Crossing: NEw Horizons*
7. Nintendo Switch Sports*
8. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
10. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

*Digital sales not included

September 2022 Top 10 PlayStation Games

1. FIFA 23
2. Madden NFL 23
3. NBA 2K23*
4. The Last of Us: Part I
5. Saints Row
6. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
7. Elden Ring
8. Horizon Forbidden West
9. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
10. Gran Turismo 7

*Digital sales not included

September 2022 Top 10 Xbox Games

1. Madden NFL 23
2. FIFA 23
3. NBA 2K23*
4. Saints Row
5. Elden Ring
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
7. TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
9. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
10. Call of Duty: Vanguard

*Digital sales not included