Best-Selling Games And Consoles Of August 2022 Revealed: Madden And PS5 Top The Charts

The NPD Group has released its latest monthly sales report, this one covering August 2022, showing which games and consoles sold the best in the US. The report also shines a light on how the US games industry is performing overall.

Total spending across games, consoles, and accessories reached $4.10 billion in the US during August 2022, which was a decline of 5% year-over-year. Year-to-date spending came to $34.6 billion, a 9% year-over-year decline, though it was up by 3% compared to the comparable period in 2020.

For hardware specifically, the PlayStation 5 was August 2022’s best-selling console overall for both unit and dollar sales. The Switch, however, has sold the most units so far in 2022. NPD added that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles saw double-digit percentage growth in August 2022 compared to August 2021 due in part to better supply. Total spending on consoles in August 2022 jumped by 14% to $375 million. Year-to-date spending on consoles in the US declined 4% to $2.9 billion.

Shifting to games, Madden NFL 23 was August 2022’s top-selling game overall, and it marked the 23rd straight year that a new Madden game topped the charts during its launch month. After less than a month on the market, Madden NFL 23 became the fifth-best-selling game of 2022 so far.

Saint’s Row was No. 2 in August, followed by Marvel’s Spider-Man in third. Another big move was Horizon Forbidden West, which ranked 12th after a price cut, rising from 28th in July, NPD said. Forbidden West is 2022’s 4th-best-selling game overall so far.

The mobile games category took another big hit during August 2022, with total revenue declining by 10%. NPD said spending on mobile continues to fall as people return to work and spend more time living their lives. Spending on Google Play dropped 22% year-over-year in August, while spending from the App Store declined by 1.2%.

In terms of accessories, the PS5 DualSense Midnight Black controller was August 2022’s best-selling accessory, and the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller remains the best-selling accessory of 2022 so far. Total spending on accessories in the US fell by 18% in August 2022 to $138 million. According to the NPD, gamepad and headset spending declines attributed to the overall downturn. Year-to-date spending on accessories in the US fell by 14% to $1.4 billion.

August 2022 Best-Selling Games In The US

Madden NFL 23Saints RowSpider-ManElden RingMultiVersus#Mario Kart 8*MinecraftLego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaMLB The Show 22^Xenoblade Chronicles 3*Digimon SurviveHorizon Forbidden WestCall of Duty: VanguardFar Cry 6Soul Hackers 2Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*Gran Turismo 7Kirby and the Forgotten Land*The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimPokemon Legends: Arceus*

* Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

# Founder’s Pack Edition sales only

Year-To-Date Top 10 Games

Elden RingLego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaPokemon Legends: ArceusHorizon: Forbidden WestMadden NFL 23MLB The Show 22^Call of Duty: VanguardGran Turismo 7Kirby and the Forgotten Land*Mario Kart 8*

* Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

12 Months Ending August 2022 Top 10 Games

Elden RingCall of Duty: VanguardMadden NFL 22Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaPokemon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining PearlBattlefield 2042Far Cry 6FIFA 22Pokemon: Legends Arceus*Horizon: Forbidden West

*Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On Switch

Mario Kart 8*Xenoblade Chronicles 3*Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*Kirby and the Forgotten Land*Pokemon Legends: Arceus*Animal Crossing: New Horizons*Nintendo Switch Sports*Digimon SurviveThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*Minecraft*

* Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On PlayStation

Madden NFL 22Saints RowHorizon Forbidden WestMLB The Show 22Gran Turismo 7Elden RingSpider-Man: Miles MoralesMinecraftCall of Duty: VanguardSoul Hackers 2

* Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On Xbox

Madden NFL 23Saints RowFar Cry 6Elden RingMultiVersus#Call of Duty: VanguardCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarForza Horizon 5Call of Duty: Modern WarfareLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

* Digital sales not included

# Founder’s Pack Edition sales only

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Second Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For September Includes Deathloop, Valheim, And More

With September almost over, several new games have been announced for Xbox Game Pass this month. This month’s biggest game is Deathloop, developer Arkane’s award-winning first-person shooter that was previously a PlayStation console-exclusive. With that exclusivity period over, Microsoft wasted no time in getting the game ready for an Xbox Series X|S and PC release through its subscription program, and this version will be packed with some big upgrades as part of the Golden Loop update.

Also available today is Hardspace: Shipbreaker, a more relaxing title set in space where you work to earn a living amongst the stars. You’ll be cutting up abandoned starships and other debris using a selection of heavy-duty tools, and once you start upgrading your gear, you’ll be able to take on more lucrative contracts.

On September 22, Game Pass subscribers can look forward to three new games in the form of Spider-Heck, Beacon Pines, and Slime Rancher 2. SpiderHeck pits nature’s greatest eight-legged killing machines against each other in a duel to the death with laser-swords, Beacon Pines is an adorable adventure game with shades of Stranger Things, and Slime Rancher 2 is a sequel to a beloved farming sim where you wrangle critters and uncover mysteries.

September 27 adds the grim metroidvania Moonscars, as well as the full release of Grounded. Obsidian Entertainment has been fine-tuning its survival-adventure game since 2020 and the full release looks set to be jam-packed with content, refinement, and a reactive world to explore.

Let’s Build a Zoo and Valheim land on Game Pass on September 29, bringing a dose of pixelated management sim gameplay and open-world survival to Xbox and PC. Valheim has been a big hit since it launched in Early Access, earning critical acclaim for its mix of Viking themes and procedurally-generated lands in which you’ll need to survive and thrive in. Lastly, PAW Patrol Grand Prix arrives on September 30. If you’re looking to keep the young ones occupied with a racing game based on the popular animated series, this family-friendly driving game could be worth looking at.

What Microsoft gives, it also takes away, as Xbox Game Pass is losing 12 more games this month. Amongst the departures, you can say goodbye to Dirt 4, Astria Ascending, and more.

Xbox Game Pass Second Half Of September 2022

September 20

Deathloop — Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|SHardspace: Shipbreaker — Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S

September 22

Spider-Heck — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|SBeacon Pines — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|SSlime Rancher 2 — Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S

September 27

Moonscars — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|SGrounded — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

September 29

Let’s Build a Zoo — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|SValheim — PC

September 30

PAW Patrol Grand Prix — PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

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Xbox Series X Update Finally Makes Xbox One Game Discs Playable Offline

A recent Xbox Series X update has changed a DRM feature on that console, as you’ll now be able to play Xbox One discs on the current-gen console without needing to be connected to the internet. Microsoft confirmed online check-ins will no longer be required thanks to the update, which had been spotted by fans earlier this month.

“This is true since the 2206 update,” Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie tweeted. “We examined data since Series X|S launch and determined the online compatibility check isn’t needed in the vast majority of cases for Xbox One discs. Some games may still need to be updated online after install to ensure the best experience.”

Yes, this is true since the 2206 update. We examined data since Series X|S launch & determined the online compatibility check isn’t needed in the vast majority of cases for Xbox One discs. Some games may still need to be updated online after install to ensure the best experience.

— Eden Marie (@neonepiphany) September 19, 2022

The patch notes for the 2206 updates–which rolled out in June and July–vaguely mentioned “general stability and performance improvements” that have become the norm with these updates. The change to Xbox One DRM brings those last-gen games in line with Xbox Series X|S titles, as those discs are also playable on the console without an online connection.

You’ll still need an internet connection for the classic Xbox and Xbox 360 backwards compatibility games due to the authentication setup of that library, but this new update will make a huge number of Xbox One titles–many of which have Smart Delivery upgrades available–more accessible to users who don’t always have a reliable online connection.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that there won’t be a price increase for Xbox Series X|S consoles, Xbox might acquire more studios in the future, and you can read up on how to connect Discord to your Xbox console.

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The NVIDIA GeForce Project Beyond and GTC Fall 2022 Keynote Live Blog (Starts at 8am PT/15:00 UTC)

Kicking off a bit later this morning will be NVIDIA’s GTC 2022 fall keynote, which should prove to be a very interesting event.

Besides NVIDIA’s usual run-through of business announcements, the first part of this GTC’s keynote will be focused on NVIDIA’s GeForce products, making for a very rare appearance at NVIDIA’s increasingly enterprise-focused event. NVIDIA has been teasing the GeForce portion of the event as “Project Beyond” for about the past month, and in traditional secretive NVIDIA fashion, that’s all we officially know ahead of the show.

Given the timing of this event, the announcement of NVIDIA’s next-generation of consumer video cards (GeForce RTX 40 series?) and associated GPUs is a very safe bet. The GeForce RTX 30 series premiered just over two years ago, which is right in line with NVIDIA’s usual bi-yearly architecture cadence.

Significant performance improvements are (hopefully) in the cards, but it will be interesting to see what NVIDIA does in light of the current cypto hangover, which hit a fevered pitch last week with the long-awaited completion of the Ethereum Merge – eliminating the need for video cards to mine the popular cryptocoin. The market for video cards is almost certain to be saturated for the next several months, especially as the performance levels covered by the current RTX 30 series cards. Which means it’s cards that would be faster than the RTX 3090 and its ilk that are the most likely to succeed in the current climate.

At the same time, from a graphics feature standpoint NVIDIA has been relatively stagnant since the release of the Turing architecture (RTX 20 series) in 2018, when NVIDIA first added DirectX 12 Ultimate (FL 12_2) support. As a result, a more feature-focused release would not be unusual for NVIDIA, but at the same time we’re not immediately aware of any new features under development for DirectX.

Following CEO Jensen Huang’s GeForce presentation, we’re expecting the GTC keynote to then dovetail into a more traditional enterprise presentation. NVIDIA’s H100 Hopper accelerator will no doubt be a big focus, as it’s slated to ship soon. As well, NVIDIA has been ever-increasingly focused on robotics, medical, automotive, and of course their omniverse simulation environment. So there should be no shortage of other things to talk about – even if we’re here first and foremost for the gaming cards.

NVIDIA’s keynote starts at 8am Pacific (15:00 UTC), so please join us for our live blog coverage of the green machine’s latest announcements.

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Steam Deck Is Speeding Up Production And Shipments

Valve has announced that it’s ahead of schedule on Steam Deck production, speeding through reservations for the handheld PC gaming device. Per its most recent update, all reservations made for the Q3 period have had email invitations sent out, with the company now getting a head start on Q4.

“We’re speeding through reservations at an accelerated pace,” Valve said in its most recent shipping update. “This is due to increased production, and we’ve beaten our own estimates yet again. With today’s batch of emails we’ve now sent invitations for all reservations in the Q3 (July-September) bucket.”

Instead of offering pre-orders, Valve offers reservations for anyone interested in purchasing a Steam Deck, adding users to a queue Once at the front of the queue, users receive an email to purchase their Steam Deck. With orders now being fulfilled ahead of schedule, Valve has updated the store front to reflect the new production estimates, “with an updated bucket description: September-December.”

Since its launch earlier this year, the Steam Deck has been well-reviewed, offering real competition to the Nintendo Switch when it comes to third-party titles, especially indies. Valve also recently opened its official repair centers for the Steam Deck.

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The Pokémon Company Says It Doesn’t Have An Issue With Nuzlocke Runs, Actually

The Pokémon Company has taken the unusual step of releasing an official statement about Nuzlocke runs, in response to reports that it removed creators from its content program for engaging with them, VGC reports.

The initial report came from content creators Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, who previously co-hosted Nintendo’s official YouTube show, Nintendo Minute. In a recent podcast episode, the duo revealed that they had pitched a Nuzlocke run for an episode of Nintendo Minute, but claimed The Pokémon Company had been strongly against it.

Nuzlocke refers to a set of punishing rules some players choose to use for Pokemon runs, including simulating permadeath every time a pokemon faints, and only allowing players to catch the first pokemon encountered in any given region.

“We thought that this would be a fun idea for a Nintendo Minute video,” Ellis explained, when asked if they had ever played the game with Nuzlocke rules. “So we pitched it to the Pokémon Company saying ‘hey, we would like to do a Nuzlocke run, what do you think?'”

“[We] thought they were going to fire us,” Yang added, before Ellis went on to elaborate: “They said, ‘we consider this to be on the same level as using hacked games, ROM hacks’ … But this is just a style of playing the game that everyone can buy, there’s no hacking.”

“There were a lot of creators that played Nuzlocke style of Pokemon that got erased from the creator program,” Yang went on to claim, leading to widespread reports that The Pokémon Company is against Nuzlocke runs, leading the company to issue a statement to the contrary.

“We do not have any issues with fans/creators playing the games with Nuzlocke rules,” The Pokémon Company International said in a statement to Serebii‘s Joe Merrick. Merrick also said there is no evidence beyond Yang’s statement that creators have ever been dismissed for playing Nuzlocke rules.

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How To Connect Discord To Xbox

Xbox users can now finally use Discord voice chat, but to do it, you’ll need to jump through a few minor hoops first. Once it’s all set up, you and your buddies on other platforms won’t need to worry about using game chat. You can all talk to one another without others chiming in on your conversation. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about how to connect Discord to Xbox.

Required items

To use Discord on your Xbox, you’ll need to have the following:

PhoneXbox Mobile AppDiscord Mobile App

Link Discord to your Xbox

The first thing you’ll need to do is open the Discord app on your phone. Once you’re on the app, you’ll want to click on your profile picture, which can be found in the bottom right corner of the app. Scroll down, and when you see the Connections tab, select it.

In the Connections page on the top right, you’ll see another tab that says Add. Click that and scroll down until you select Xbox. Afterward, you’ll be greeted with a prompt on your phone to start the linking process.

After linking the two accounts, you’re almost done!

You’ll want to follow the process and proceed to log into your Xbox account via the Discord app. Now that it’s linked, you’ll receive another prompt letting you know that you’ll need to have the Xbox Mobile App installed on your phone, so make sure you have it ready to go.

How to use Discord on Xbox

Now that you have everything linked, the following steps shouldn’t take long at all. You’ll want to join a discord voice channel from your phone. Afterward, on the app, scroll up, and you’ll want to click on the tab that says Join on Xbox.

As soon as you click it, you’ll load into the Xbox mobile app, and from there, you’ll need to click on the Transfer Voice tab. After you do that, you’ll be able to chat with your friends on Discord from your Xbox.

Game chat? Never heard of it.

It’s also worth mentioning that you can connect your Xbox to a Discord voice channel from a PC too. But to do so, you’ll need to scan a QR code using the Xbox Mobile app to join.

Once you’ve officially connected to two, you’ll be able to view who is in the channel, like you could with a normal Xbox Party, and adjust the settings to how you see fit.

For more Xbox news, be sure to check out these stories:

Xbox Isn’t Done Acquiring More Companies, Phil Spencer SuggestsThe Best Xbox Deals Right Now: Save On Games, Accessories, Consoles, And MorePhil Spencer Explains Why Microsoft Won’t Raise The Price Of A New XboxRead MoreGameSpot – Game News

PS5 Restock Tracker: PS Direct Has Consoles In Stock

PlayStation Direct currently has the PS5 in stock, but you’ll have to wait in a queue to get one. Over the past couple of months, PS5 and PS5 Digital consoles haven’t been selling out nearly as fast as they once were. We’re talking hours and sometimes even days before a restock sells out, which is a significant improvement over the minutes (or even seconds) we were accustomed to for the better part of two years. Still, it’s been a slow couple of weeks for PS5 restocks, so if you’re still looking for a console, now’s your chance.

You’re still unlikely to find the PS5 on store shelves, and most major retailers are sold out of the PS5, but the situation is starting to mirror what we saw with the Xbox Series X. First, the consoles no longer sell out in minutes, and then they become readily available at at least one major retailer nearly all the time. We are cautiously optimistic that the concept of PS5 restocks may be a thing of the past before long.

For now, we’re continuing to track PS5 restocks across major retailers, so if you’re still looking for one, we’ll update this post every time we see it become available.

In addition to standalone consoles, we’re also tracking restocks of the first official PS5 bundle. The bundle comes with a digital voucher to redeem Horizon Forbidden West on the PlayStation Store. The standard PS5 bundle costs $550, while the PS5 Digital bundle is $450.

PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle

Buy PS5 bundle at Best Buy Buy PS5 bundle at PS Direct Buy PS5 bundle at Amazon Buy PS5 bundle at Walmart

PS5 Digital Horizon Forbidden West Bundle

Buy PS5 Digital bundle at Best Buy Buy PS5 Digital bundle at Best Buy

PS5 restocks

Buy PS5 at GameStopBuy PS5 at WalmartBuy PS5 at Best BuyBuy PS5 at TargetBuy PS5 at AmazonBuy PS5 at PS DirectBuy PS5 at NeweggBuy PS5 at StockX

PS5 Digital restocks

Buy PS5 Digital at GameStopBuy PS5 Digital at WalmartBuy PS5 Digital at Best BuyBuy PS5 Digital at TargetBuy PS5 Digital at AmazonBuy PS5 Digital at PS DirectBuy PS5 Digital at StockX

Recent PS5 restocks

Below, you’ll find the most recent PS5 restock dates at major retailers.

Best Buy: July 22PS Direct: September 19 (register for future restocks)Walmart: September 1Amazon: August 8Target: April 15Antonline: August 1GameStop: August 19-20Newegg: May 11

See more PS5 recommendations

Once you manage to secure a PS5, make sure to check out some of our roundups for games, accessories, and more to help you get the most out of your PS5.

The best PS5 gamesThe best PS5 headsetsThe best PS5 controllersThe best 4K TVs for PS5The best monitors for PS5

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Diablo 4 Closed Endgame Beta Coming Soon

Blizzard has announced a closed beta for Diablo 4, focusing on its endgame content. The upcoming beta will focus on testing Nightmare Dungeons, Helltides, and other post-game content.

Announced via a blog post, Diablo 4 will be holding a closed beta starting sometime in the next few months, focused entirely on endgame content for the upcoming dungeon crawler. The Diablo 4 developers said this focus was partially to avoid story spoilers this far out from launch, but the primary reason is to make sure there is time to implement any needed changes to the endgame content.

The closed beta will feature multiple endgame events. One event type is Helltide, a world event featuring powerful versions of regular enemies that drop Cinders, which can be used to open Helltide chests found in the open world. There will also be Nightmare Dungeons, beefed up versions of the normal dungeons with special modifiers, Whispers of the Dead, an endgame repeatable quest system, and Paragon Boards, which let players achieve additional power after reaching max level.

The Fields of Hatred, special PvP zones for the best of the best, will be in the beta as well. For anyone hoping to get into this closed beta, Blizzard said it is specifically inviting players who have logged a significant amount of playtime across both Diablo 3 and Diablo 2: Resurrected, specifically in the endgame of both titles across all platforms. You will also need to sign up for the Diablo 4 beta for a chance to receive an invite. For anyone who doesn’t make the cut for this closed beta, Blizzard also said that public testing phases will begin early 2023.

Over 40 minutes of Diablo 4 Barbarian gameplay recently leaked online. Diablo 4 is set to release in the first half of 2023 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

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Dragon Quest Treasures Preorder Guide: Bonuses, Release Date, And More

Dragon Quest Treasures, a spin-off game from the iconic JPRG series, is slated to release on December 9 for Nintendo Switch. If you’re eager to check out the unique adventure, preorders have officially opened and come with a slew of bonus content. Here’s what you need to know about Dragon Quest Treasures preorders before reserving a copy.

Dragon Quest Treasures Preorder Bonuses

Preordering Dragon Quest Treasures will get you a bunch of useful in-game goodies. This includes:

5 Chamaera Wing: Move back to your base without dropping any treasure15 Better Buddy Bullet: Improves odds of having a monster join your party15 Fullheal Pellet: Restore HP of an ally

The bonuses are nothing groundbreaking, although they should give you a nice head start on your adventure. No retailer-specific bonuses have been announced yet, and we’ll update this page if anything new is revealed.

Dragon Quest Treasures follows Erik and Mia–siblings out to collect powerful items known as Dragonstones from the strange land of Draconia. Along the way, they’ll have the chance to recruit monsters to join their party and assist in both combat and exploration. Scattered throughout the landscape you’ll find a variety of treasure, and you’ll need to get it back to your base before you’re ambushed by other hunters that are looking for the same loot.

It looks radically different from most other Dragon Quest games, although fans of Dragon Quest XI will remember both Erik and Mia. Erik played a large role in the narrative, while Mia was only vaguely mentioned during cutscenes. Dragon Quest Treasures is looking to dive deeper into their stories, and it’ll be interesting to see how it all comes together on December 9.

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