J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Best-selling video games - top markets - Statistics & Facts
The most popular video games worldwide are major titles selling millions of copies, with consumer spending on gaming content growing steadily every year. Beyond individual hit titles, there are many popular video game franchises and series which often feature in the year-end bestseller lists regardless of the market – however, there are some regional gaming audience preferences.
A snapshot of the monthly video game sales in the United States reveals that for the full year 2023, RPG titles Hogwarts Legacy or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may claim a spot among the best-selling video games in the United States – a feat made even more impressive by the fact that the games have nothing to do with sports or shooters.
Other leading games in Europe include the ever-popular Super Mario Bros. Wonder, NHL 24, and FIFA 23.
The United States – shooters and franchises (usually)
In 2023, Hogwarts Legacy was the top-selling video game in the United States based on dollar sales. This was the first time a non-Call of Duty titles took the top spot as the best-selling U.S. game of the year since 2008, when this accolade went to Rockband. U.S. gamers are loyal to their franchises – virtually all the top-selling games of the year were part of some gaming franchise, with Starfield and Minecraft being the only titles that were not part of a bigger series.A snapshot of the monthly video game sales in the United States reveals that for the full year 2023, RPG titles Hogwarts Legacy or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may claim a spot among the best-selling video games in the United States – a feat made even more impressive by the fact that the games have nothing to do with sports or shooters.
The United Kingdom – football (of course)
The picture is fairly similar when looking at the United Kingdom, the biggest gaming market in Europe: sports games and shooters reign supreme, with EA’s Sports FC series taking up two spots in the top 4 of the best-selling games in the UK in 2023. Football is also the name of the game in terms of the UK’s top-selling video games based on physical unit sales in the UK as FIFA 23 was the second-ranked title of the year in that regard, with Hogwarts Legacy also claiming the top of the hill in this market.Other European markets – more football and Mario
The UK is not the only market where EA Sports FC 24 is the biggest game of the year. In 2023, the popularity of football in Europe is highlighted as EA Sports FC 24 was the top-selling game in 7 major European gaming markets. Across Europe, Hogwarts Legacy ranked in second place, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Other leading games in Europe include the ever-popular Super Mario Bros. Wonder, NHL 24, and FIFA 23.
Japan – Nintendo Switch is crushing the competition
In contrast, the ranking of the best-selling console games in Japan is dominated by Nintendo Switch titles and does not feature any FPS or football franchise games. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was the top-selling console title in Japan in 2023, selling about 1.93 million copies during the year. Super Mario Bros. Wonder was ranked second with about 1.55 million Switch game units sold.
