Video Game Spending Breaks All-Time Record In The US

Many people are still stuck at home due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and that's leading a lot of us to spend more money on video games than ever. According to the NPD Group, spending on video games during the second quarter (April to June) reached an all-time record of $11.6 billion, which is an increase of 30% compared to the same period last year.

This was driven by a 28% increase in sales of games and game content themselves, as well as an increase of 57% in the hardware category, which includes consoles like the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, accessories increased by 50%. Sales from the first-quarter of this year also shattered the previous record, with a total of $10.9 billion. The best-selling games of the quarter include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone, Candy Crush Saga, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Grand Theft Auto V, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Minecraft, NBA 2K20, Pokemon Go, and The Last of Us: Part 2.

While these overall records are notable, individual companies and games have also notched surprising high-water marks in recent weeks. Capcom announced that they enjoyed its strongest first-quarter ever, and Twitch said the same. Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more copies than anyone could've predicted, with over 22 million, making it the second best-selling game on Switch.