The PS5 is the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, according to March game sales data

By Joseph Yaden Updated April 25, 2023

The PlayStation 5 is officially the fastest-selling console in United States history. This news comes from the latest NPD sales report, which tracks the top-selling hardware and software for the month of March 2021.

As NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella explains, the PS5 is the fastest selling console in the U.S. in “both unit and dollar sales.” Despite this, the system has been relatively difficult to find across retailers since its launch last year.

US NPD HW – PlayStation 5 is the fastest selling console in U.S. history in both unit and dollar sales (lifetime sales with five months on the market).

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 16, 2021

Notably, the Nintendo Switch was once again the bestselling console for the month overall, and has been a top-seller for a record-breaking 27 consecutive months in the United States. Nintendo has struggled to keep up with high demand and has hinted that Switch consoles might be scarce throughout 2021.

Elsewhere in the NPD results is the list of March 2021’s bestselling games. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War was the bestselling game of the month, climbing from the number two spot last month. Capcom’s Monster Hunter Rise debuted as the second-bestselling game of the month, followed by Outriders at number three.

US NPD SW – March 2021 Top 20 Sellers pic.twitter.com/JC6AQdilpN

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 16, 2021

Nintendo published seven out of the top 20 bestselling games including Super Mario 3D World, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Speaking of which, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is now the bestselling racing game in U.S. history, surpassing 33 million units sold.

One thing to note about Nintendo is that it does not provide digital sales stats, meaning all of its games have topped the charts on boxed copies alone. The same can be said about publisher 2K.

Finally, consumers spent a record-breaking $5.6 billion during March 2021, 18% higher than the same time in 2020. In total, consumers spent $680 million on hardware alone throughout the month of March.

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Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…

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