"Region Sees Sharp Decline in Video Game Console Sales"

Summary

• Major gaming console sales in Europe dropped in 2024 due to market saturation and a lack of new releases.
• The PlayStation 5 Pro was the only new console from major companies, but couldn't prevent the overall sales decline.
• Overall gaming sales in Europe saw only a 1% increase in 2024, with digital sales rising and physical copies falling.

2024 was a challenging year for video game consoles across Europe, affecting all major players like the Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation. The year marked a noticeable decline in new console sales in the region, though the gaming industry as a whole did not suffer entirely.

The PlayStation 5 Pro, a revamped version of an existing console, was the only new release from the big three gaming companies in 2024. Despite enthusiasm from fans for a more powerful Sony console, it failed to reverse the downward sales trend in Europe compared to previous years.

A report from Video Games Chronicle revealed a 21% drop in overall console sales in Europe from the previous year. PlayStation, buoyed by the PS5 Pro's launch, performed relatively better but still saw a 20% decrease in sales compared to 2023. The Nintendo Switch experienced a 15% decline, while the Xbox Series X/S faced a significant 48% drop. Analysts suggest this decline is due to market saturation, with the original PS5 and Xbox Series consoles launching in 2020 and the Nintendo Switch in 2017. Interestingly, on Amazon's US site, the Meta Quest 3S outsold all major game consoles in 2024, hinting at stagnating traditional console sales in various regions.

Video Game Sales Shift and Growth Stagnates

Overall, gaming in Europe saw only a marginal increase in 2024, with 188.1 million PC and console games sold, marking a mere 1% rise from the previous year. While any growth is positive, it likely fell short of what most game publishers hoped for. The data also highlights a significant shift in purchasing habits, with digital game sales increasing to 131.6 million—a 15% jump from 2023—while physical game sales dropped to 56.5 million, a 22% decline from the previous year.

Looking ahead, 2025 is expected to be a more robust year for gaming in Europe and globally, with the anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2 likely to boost sales significantly. However, it's important to note that the 2024 console sales figures exclude data from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria, among others. Including these regions might have presented a less bleak picture for 2024's performance.