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PS5 sales surge over 300% in the UK during February | UK Monthly Charts
Xbox Series S and X sales also increased month-on-month
www.gamesindustry.biz
The UK games market posted strong sales in February due to the performance of two products: Hogwarts Legacy and PlayStation 5.
2.8 million console and PC games were sold across the UK during February, up 11% over the year before. This data is for all physical games, plus AAA titles from most major publishers (courtesy of GSD).
Hogwarts Legacy was by far and away the biggest game of the month. Its launch week was 100% bigger than last February's hit video game, Elden Ring. In fact, the game is already on the brink of over-taking Elden Ring in all-time sales after just three weeks. It is currently the sixth best-selling video game from the last 12 months.
Hogwarts Legacy makes up for a month that was a little lighter on new games compared with last year. February 2022 also saw the release of Horizon: Forbidden West, Dying Light 2 and Total War: Warhammer 3. This month, the highest charting new releases outside of Hogwarts is Undisputed, the boxing game from Plaion, which debuts at No.13. Elsewhere, Atomic Heart charted at No.17, although the game was a Day One title in Game Pass, which may explain why 85% of its sales were on PS5 and PC.
Other new releases that didn't make the Top 20 include Octopath Traveler 2 (No.58), Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (No.78) and Wild Hearts (No.139).
The other slightly notable thing in the February charts is the return of The Last of Us titles. The Last of Us: Part 2 is at No.7, with sales more than double the month before. Meanwhile The Last of Us Remastered is at No.14, with sales up over 50%. There is also an increase for The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 (No.19). These jumps are from a relatively low base, so the overall sales figures are not particularly huge, but it shows that the games have benefitted from the HBO series based on the IP, which started in January.
There are no Nintendo games in the Top Ten this month, although it's worth noting that Nintendo does not share digital data with the charts company. One of its big releases, Metroid Prime Remastered (which was surprise launched earlier in the month as a digital download) is therefore missing from the charts. Most indie games are also not included, and that's why recent hit survival game Sons of the Forest is also missing.
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