Tekken 8 Was January’s Best-Selling New Release in the US

Ethan James 28 Feb 2024

January witnessed a surge in the release of blockbuster video games in the US, resulting in significant shifts in the monthly video game software sales chart, as detailed by Circana (previously known as NPD Group). Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared insights via Twitter, highlighting that while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare led the software sales in Japan, it was closely followed by a slew of new releases making their mark.

Tekken 8 particularly stood out, securing the second spot and showing remarkable growth over its predecessor, Tekken 7, in both unit sales and revenue generated at launch. Furthermore, the sales tracking, extending to February 3, revealed that recent heavyweights like Suicide Squad: Against the Justice League and Persona 3 managed to secure the third and fourth spots, respectively, despite their early February release.

Other titles that made an impact include Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, claiming the seventh position after its release in late January, and Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, making its entry at a thirteenth position, having been launched earlier in the month.

Another surprising revelation was Palworld, which, despite less anticipation, topped Steam's monthly active users chart in the US for January. It also achieved third place on Xbox, only surpassed by Fortnite and Call of Duty in terms of popularity.

Switching focus to console sales, the PS5 continued its streak as the top-selling console in the US, leading in both unit and dollar sales. The Nintendo Switch followed closely in unit sales, while the Xbox Series X/S took the second place in terms of dollar sales. Notably, the PS5's sales pace during its first 39 months in the US is outperforming both the PS4 (by 7%) and the PS3 (by a striking 68%).

These findings reflect the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, underlining the continued dominance of established franchises alongside the rapid rise of new contenders.