If you’re a fan of the gaming industry, then there’s really no better way to learn about its many intricacies and trends than by following the monthly reports from NPD; the latest one from June 2021 is especially interesting, so let’s take a closer look! These reports have all the information we crave: hardware sales, year-over-year percentages, year-to-date spending, dollar sales, unit sales — it has everything your heart could desire! Reading it is like watching a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross, sans an agitated Alec Baldwin.

These numbers might not be all that interesting at first glance, but they paint a much bigger picture. They speak of market trends and buyer demands and everything in between. They also tell us who’s doing well and who isn’t which will naturally affect the market further down the line.

In any case, there’s a ton of interesting stuff to go over, so let’s dive straight into the nitty-gritty of the NPD June 2021 report!

The best-selling platform (in dollar sales) is the Xbox Series S/X; these novel consoles have beaten Microsoft’s previous record set all the way back in June of 2011. Units-wise, the best-selling console was the Nintendo Switch. In fact, it’s been the best-selling platform of H1 2021 and has generated a seismic amount of revenue for Nintendo — the only hardware manufacturer who’s selling its consoles at a profit. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was, as strange as it might sound, a very concrete boon to Nintendo and its much-beloved hybrid console. Throughout the course of the pandemic, gamers across the globe flocked in great numbers to buy this peculiar little device.

Overall hardware sales went up by 112% ($410 million) compared to June of last year, which also happens to be the highest total amount recorded in June since 2008. There’s also a very concrete 45% increase in year-to-date spending for the first half of 2021 when compared to the first six months of 2020.

In summary, all three console manufacturers are enjoying great (if not record-breaking) sales and will surely continue to find success over the coming weeks and months.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart debuted as last month’s best-selling title. This was the best and most lucrative launch in the history of the franchise — a true testament to Insomniac’s dedication and ability to deliver top-notch exclusives capable of truly harnessing the inherent power of the PlayStation 5. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War went up by two spots, with Mario Golf: Super Rush debuting in third place. Interestingly enough, this peculiar title generated the highest dollar sales of any Mario Golf game in history, beating the previous record set in July 2003.

The Nintendo Switch release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 pushed this iconic simulation into the Top 20, with Sea of Thieves also showing a marked improvement (from 36th to 20th place) because of the recently released A Pirate’s Life DLC. It seems that people still want to traverse the seas and sing pirate shanties as long as there’s enough content to keep them engaged!

All in all, June 2021 has been quite an interesting month in regards to hardware and software sales according to NPD. A fairly eclectic mix of titles was able to take center stage, and that’ll no doubt continue being the case in July as well. We’ll be back with another breakdown next month, so stay tuned!