What you need to know
- Circana (previously The NPD Group) shared sales data on U.S. video game hardware and software for the month of September 2023.
- According to Circana, Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield was the best-selling game of the month.
- PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month in dollar sales and units sold, followed by Xbox Series consoles in both metrics.
Big new games means a big shake-up for the sales charts.
Circana executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella shared the latest video games sales charts on Wednesday, revealing that Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield was the best-selling game of September 2023 in the U.S.
This result is notable as the game also debuted on Xbox Game Pass, and is the first game released from Bethesda Game Studios as an Xbox first-party title. Starfield is also instantly the seventh best-selling game of the year. Mortal Kombat 1 followed Starfield as the second-best selling title of the month, and the eighth best-selling game of the year.
For gaming hardware, the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month in both dollar sales and units, followed by Xbox Series consoles in both categories. Total video game sales for the month across hardware and software reached $4.495 billion.
Below, you can see the best-selling games for the month and the year so far. Bear in mind as always Circana tracks games by dollar sales, not individual copies sold, and some publishers like Take-Two Interactive and Nintendo don’t share digital sales data.
September 2023 Circana: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.
1. Starfield
2. Mortal Kombat 1
3. EA Sports FC 24
4. Madden NFL 24
5. Payday 3
6. NBA 2K24*
7. The Crew: Motorfest
8. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
9. Hogwarts Legacy
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
11. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
12. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
13. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*
14. Minecraft
15. Mario Kart 8*
16. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
17. Gran Turismo 7
18. Elden Ring
19. Sea of Thieves
20. Diablo 4
September 2023 Circana: Here are the best-selling games in the U.S. so far this year
1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*
3. Madden NFL 24
4. Diablo 4
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
7. Starfield
8. Mortal Kombat 1
9. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
10. MLB The Show 23**
11. Dead Island 2
12. Final Fantasy 16
13. Street Fighter 6
14. EA Sports FC 24
15. FIFA 23
16. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
17. Elden Ring
18. Remnant 2
19. Dead Space
20. Mario Kart 8*
* No digital data shared
** No digital data shared for Xbox or Nintendo platforms
Analysis: The impact of ZeniMax is finally felt
With the launch of Starfield, the full impact of Microsoft acquiring ZeniMax Media is finally coming to fruition. Starfield passed 10 million players weeks ago, but it’s still impressive to see it at the top of a sales chart, and it speaks to the strength of the game. Bethesda Game Studios titles have long lifespans, and I’m sure Starfield will continue to be an Xbox staple for years to come as Creation Kit modding tools, expansions, and more arrive.
