Summary
- Major gaming console sales in Europe dropped in 2024 due to market saturation and lack of new releases.
- The PlayStation 5 Pro was the only new console from big companies, but couldn't prevent overall sales decline.
- Overall gaming sales in Europe only saw a 1% increase in 2024, with digital sales rising and physical copies falling.
2024 was a challenging year for video game consoles across various parts of Europe, affecting all major players including the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation. The year saw a general decline in new console sales, although the gaming industry as a whole did not suffer entirely.
The only new console released by the major gaming companies in 2024 was the PlayStation 5 Pro, an enhanced version of an existing model. Despite the excitement around a more powerful Sony console, its launch did not manage to reverse the downward trend in console sales in Europe compared to previous years.
According to a report by Video Games Chronicle, sales figures for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch in Europe were significantly down. Overall, console sales dropped by 21% from the previous year. PlayStation, buoyed somewhat by the PS5 Pro, saw the least decline with a 20% drop in sales. The Nintendo Switch experienced a 15% decrease, while the Xbox Series X/S saw a dramatic 48% decline. The stagnation in the console market is attributed to the age of current models, with the original PS5 and Xbox Series launched in 2020, and the Nintendo Switch in 2017. Interestingly, on Amazon's US site, the Meta Quest 3S outsold all major gaming consoles in 2024, suggesting a growing stagnation in traditional console sales across various regions.
Video Game Sales Shift and Growth Stagnates
Overall, the gaming market in Europe saw only a modest increase in 2024, with 188.1 million PC and console games sold, marking a 1% rise from the previous year. This slight growth is likely less than what most game publishers had hoped for. The data also reflects a significant shift in purchasing habits, with digital game sales increasing to 131.6 million units, a 15% jump from 2023, while physical game sales fell to 56.5 million units, a 22% decline from the previous year.
Looking ahead, 2025 is anticipated to be a more robust year for gaming in Europe and globally. The upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to drive significant sales. However, it's important to note that the 2024 sales figures exclude data from key markets such as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. Including these regions might have altered the perception of the year's performance.
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