• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechVideo Games

One year into the pandemic, video game sales aren’t slowing down

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 16, 2021, 11:42 AM ET

The video game industry, which saw huge sales gains through all of 2020, isn’t seeing any sign of a slowdown as vaccines begin to roll out and communities begin to lift restrictions.

Brick-and-mortar sales hit $5.6 billion in March, according to the NPD Group, an 18% increase over a year ago. In the first quarter, consumers spent $14.9 billion, a 30% increase over the first three months of 2020.

Much of that was driven by hardware sales as consumers still scramble to find a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Hardware sales were up 47% to $680 million—a record figure for March. The Nintendo Switch was the bestselling system in terms of units sold. Sony’s PS5 made the most in dollars spent.

Year to date, hardware spending has totaled $1.4 billion, an increase of 81% compared with a year ago.

Game software sales were up 18%, though that figure does not include digital sales, which have become the preferred buying method for many gamers. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the month’s bestselling title at brick-and-mortar stores. Newcomers Monster Hunter: Rise and Outriders took the second and third spots.  

Here’s a look at the year’s top 10 bestselling games, per NPD.

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  2. Monster Hunter: Rise
  3. Outriders
  4. Super Mario 3D World
  5. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  6. Mario Kart 8
  7. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
  10. Minecraft

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

  • Volvo draws first blood with Nvidia’s “Orin” chip in quest for self-driving cars
  • How Google’s workers are pushing for a better Google
  • Intel CEO on Nvidia competition: “We are playing offense, not defense”
  • 1Password acquires Dutch startup SecretHub to hone secret-keeping
  • New players are piling into the world’s largest electric vehicle market—no auto experience required

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Netflix
Big TechNetflix
Netflix lines up $59 billion of debt for Warner Bros. deal
By Natalie Harrison, Janine Panzer and BloombergDecember 5, 2025
1 hour ago
Sarandos
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
Netflix to buy Warner Bros. in $72 billion cash, stock deal
By Lucas Shaw, Michelle F. Davis and BloombergDecember 5, 2025
1 hour ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Four key questions about OpenAI vs Google—the high-stakes tech matchup of 2026
By Alexei OreskovicDecember 5, 2025
3 hours ago
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg adjusts an avatar of himself during a company event in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta may unwind metaverse initiatives with layoffs
By Andrew NuscaDecember 5, 2025
4 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 CEO Interview
Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Chris Boerner says company culture was the missing piece of his ‘patent cliff’ plan
By Diane BradyDecember 5, 2025
5 hours ago
Co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., Jensen Huang attends the 9th edition of the VivaTech trade show at the Parc des Expositions de la Porte de Versailles on June 11, 2025, in Paris.
C-SuiteNvidia
Before running the world’s most valuable company, Jensen Huang was a 9-year-old janitor in Kentucky
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs and the $38 trillion national debt: Kevin Hassett sees ’big reductions’ in deficit while Scott Bessent sees a ‘shrinking ice cube’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Bill Gates decries ‘significant reversal in child deaths’ as nearly 5 million kids will die before they turn 5 this year
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.