Nintendo Switch Outsells PS4 / Xbox One In July 2018 US Sales; Top-Selling Games Revealed

The NPD Group today released its report for July 2018, revealing the consoles and games that sold the best during the month and providing a look at how the games industry is doing overall. Starting with hardware, the Nintendo Switch sold the most units and drove the most dollar sales overall.

According to the NPD Group, the Switch has now been the top-seller in terms of dollar sales seven times since the console launched in March 2017. This is the first time the Switch is back on top since December 2017. While the Switch had a strong July, the PS4 remains the top-selling console of 2018. The Xbox One, meanwhile, saw its dollar sales rise by almost 50 percent in July. On a year-to-date basis, Xbox One sales are up more than 60 percent.

Overall, hardware revenue in July jumped 19 percent to $217 million. The uptick in sales was driven by Xbox One, Switch, and the NES Classic Edition, but not PS4.

Moving to games, Nintendo's Octopath Traveler was the top-seller during July for all platforms, an accomplishment that is especially notable because digital sales are not included. Impressively, the nearly five year old Grand Theft Auto V finished No. 2 in July, with Mario Kart 8, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and The Legen dof Zelda: Breath of the Wild rounding out the top five. Nintendo had a strong month, as 5 of the top 10 best-sellers were Nintendo games. You can see the full all-platforms and console-specific best-seller lists at the bottom of this post.

In July, total spending on games dropped 12 percent to $246 million. Of note, the Switch is the only console platform growing year-over-year in terms of dollar sales, rising 70 percent. The gains are even more substantial than NPD is reporting, as the group doesn't cover digital Nintendo game sales.

With hardware and software combined, July 2018 total video game spending in the US reached $749 million, which is up 14 percent year-over-year.

July 2018 Top 20 Best-Selling Games

*No digital sales

1. Octopath Traveler*
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Mario Kart 8*
4. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
6. Far Cry 5
7. Super Mario Odyssey*
8. The Crew 2
9. Rainbow Six Siege
10. Mario Tennis Aces*
11. FIFA 18
12. Lego Incredibles
13. God of War
14. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker*
15. NBA 2K18
16. Call of Duty: WWII
17. Detroit: Become Human
18. MLB 18: The Show
19. Minecraft
20. Destiny 2

Xbox One

1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
3. PUBG
4. Far Cry 5
5. Rainbow Six Siege
6. The Crew 2
7. FIFA 18
8. Call of Duty: WWII
9. NBA 2K18
10. Overwatch

PlayStation 4

1. Grand Theft Auto V
2. God of War
3. Detroit: Become Human
4. MLB The Show 18
5. The Crew 2
6. Far Cry 5
7. FIFA 18
8. Rainbow Six Siege
9. Horizon Zero Dawn
10. NBA 2K18

Nintendo Switch

(no digital sales included)

1. Octopath Traveler
2. Mario Kart 8
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
4. Super Mario Odyssey
5. Mario Tennis Aces
6. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
7. Splatoon 2
8. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trillogy
9. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
10. Lego Incredibles

3DS

1. Pokemon Ultra Sun
2. Pokemon Ultra Moon
3. Warioware: Gold
4. Mario Kart 7
5. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
6. Super Smash Bros.
7. Super Mario 3D Land
8. Minecraft
9. Super Mario Maker
10. Detective Pikachu

2018 Year-To-Date Top 10 Games

1. Far Cry 5
2. God of War
3. Monster Hunter World
4. Call of Duty: WWII
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Dragon Ball: Fighterz
7. Mario Kart 8*
8. NBA 2K18
9. MLB The Show 18
10. Super Mario Odyssey

12 Months Ending July 2018 Top 10 Games

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. NBA 2K18
3. Destiny 2
4. Madden NFL 18
5. Super Mario Odyssey*
6. Far Cry 5
7. Star Wars: Battlefront II
8. Assassin's Creed: Origins
9. Grand Theft Auto V
10. God of War 2018