Nintendo Dominates Game Software And Hardware Sales In Spain Despite Overall Decline

Gaming console sales have seen a sharp decline compared to last year. It is indicative of the declining buying power of consumers across the globe. Hardware sales in Europe have been the worst hit. Despite the plunge in sales, Nintendo Switch has been the least affected console of all.

According to the end-of-year data, Nintendo Switch has once again come out on top of console sales charts in Spain. This comes after it was revealed to be the top-sold console in the UK in 2022.

MAJOR TAKEAWAYS 

• Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in Spain for the second year running. It is despite a decline in sales.
• It sold 8% fewer units compared to last year. PS5 saw a major decline of 35%.
• Xbox Series X/S, going against the overall industry trend, saw an increase of 16% in sales compared to 2021.
• Nintendo also dominated software sales with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet outselling EA’s FIFA 23.

Nintendo Switch sold 460k units in Spain in 2022, a decline of 8% from last year’s 500k. The sales of the Nintendo console were relatively on the lower side throughout the year but saw a major boost in the holiday season. However, it still failed to replicate the 2021 sales numbers.

But the drop seen by PS5 is much more. Despite the overall decline in the industry, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X saw their sales grow. PlayStation 5 sold 180k units compared to last year’s 280k, a loss of 35%.

The sharp drop in PS5 sales is attributed to the supply problems faced by Sony’s console through most of 2022. But despite solving supply issues, PS5 sales did not see much growth. Xbox Series X/S sales saw an increase of 16% selling 93k units compared to last year’s 83k.

Nintendo also dominated software sales in Spain. Its latest release, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, sold more the 340k copies, overtaking the PlayStation 4 version of EA’s FIFA 23, which stands at second. Sony’s God of War: Ragnarok sold very overwhelmingly. Its PS4 and PS5 versions sold a little more than 100k combined.

The console sales in Spain saw a major decline. Overall, 736k consoles were sold in Spain in 2022 compared to 858k in 2021. It is a decrease of 14%, a lot less than the UK’s decline of 29% but still a significant one.

This trend of decline seen throughout the gaming industry is a worrying sign for developers and publishers. They must address the concerns raised by the consumers, especially pricing issues, if they want to turn things around.

What do you think is the reason behind this decline? State your opinions in the comments sections below.