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[Luminoth-4545]

Grand Theft Auto 5 is No.1 again in August | European Monthly Charts​

Star Wars Outlaws launch sales less than half of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor managed in 2023

Data by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B
Published on Sept. 27, 2024

State of the Market

11.8 million console and PC games were sold across Europe in August, a rise of 7% over the year before. That's according to the latest figures from GSD, which tracks digital sales from most major publishers and physical sales in all major European markets.

The jump in sales in August was due to discounts and promotions around legacy games, including August's No.1 game: Grand Theft Auto 5 (sales up 5.7% year-on-year). Plus the launch of Star Wars Outlaws, which was the second best-selling game of August.

Software

Note: Black Myth: Wukong, which was the other big release of August, is largely absent from the charts as the game's digital sales are missing from the data (the physical version reached No.68).

It was a disappointing launch for Ubisoft's big Star Wars game. The first week's sales were less than half of what EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor managed to achieve back in 2023. It did, however, sell better than 2020's space combat game Star Wars Squadrons (also by EA).

Other games that jumped up the charts this week include Kingdom Come Deliverance, which is at No.4 after the game fell below £3 on Steam. Meanwhile, Borderlands 3 bounces up the charts following the release of the movie and the announcement of Borderlands 4.

One of the most talked about games of August was Sony's Concord release, which failed to find an audience and was subsequently pulled from sale. The game charted at No.347 across Europe for August. It was the 13th best-selling new game of August, behind Nintendo's Emio: The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. Note: Nintendo games do not include digital sales.

Hardware

In terms of hardware, just over 300,000 games consoles were sold across tracked European markets, which is a drop of 42% over August last year but 12% up over July.

PS5 is comfortably the No.1 console, despite sales falling by more than 50% year-on-year, while Nintendo Switch is No.2 (sales down 25% over August last year). For across tracked markets, overall console sales are down 29% year-to-date.
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Accessories

Over in accessories, 1.1 million items were sold across tracked markets, a drop of over 17% year-on-year.

European GSD August 2024 Top 10 (Digital + Physical)​

Position	Title
1	Grand Theft Auto 5 (Rockstar)
2	Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft)
3	Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros)
4	Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Deep Silver)
5	EA Sports FC 24 (EA)
6	Borderlands 3 (2K Games)
7	Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar)
8	Grand Theft Auto Online (Rockstar)
9	Titanfall 2 (EA)
10	It Takes Two (EA)

GSD digital data includes games from participating companies sold via Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo Eshop. Major participating companies are Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Codemasters, Electronic Arts, Embracer Group (including Gearbox, Koch Media, Sabre Interactive), Focus Entertainment, Konami, Marvellous Games, Microids, Microsoft (including Bethesda), Milestone, Nacon, Paradox Interactive, Quantic Dream, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two, Tencent, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Nintendo and 505 Games are the notable absentees, alongside smaller studios.

Digital data includes games sold in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

Physical data includes all games, but only those sold in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Console hardware sales cover Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The United Kingdom and Germany are notable absentees.


Estimates from Installbase

August 2024:
PS5 - 185k
NSW - 90k
XBS - 25k

August 2023:
PS5 - 370k
NSW - 120k
XBS - 32k

 

[jm89]

XBS - 25k

 

[lughnasadh123]

Everyone talks about how well GTAV sells but what surprises me is how RDR2 is still up there.

 

[PeteBull]

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Gaming not big over there?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Estimates from Installbase​

August 2024:
PS5 - 185k
NSW - 90k
XBS - 25k

August 2023:
PS5 - 370k
NSW - 120k
XBS - 27k

When we see reports of PS5 sales being down compared to last year, worth bearing the above in mind.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Everyone talks about how well GTAV sells but what surprises me is how RDR2 is still up there.

And still no patch

 

[Raven77]

Gaming not big over there?

The opposite, they know that most new games are not very good. So instead they buy great older games.

Pretty easy to see that from the chart.

 

[HL3.exe]

An 11 year old game being No1 is kinda... ooofff.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

The opposite, they know that most new games are not very good. So instead they buy great older games.

Pretty easy to see that from the chart.

Amazing new games released this year.

I think it's because of a smaller market like I said.
Do we have numbers?

 

[Raven77]

Amazing new games released this year.

I think it's because of a smaller market like I said.
Do we have numbers?

Genuinely curious what amazing non-indie, non-expansion, non-remake games have released this year?

Maybe Astrobot?

 

[Nasigil]

Genuinely curious what amazing non-indie, non-expansion, non-remake games have released this year?

Maybe Astrobot?

Wukong

 

[hemo memo]

Of course GTAV will still sell

 

[Heisenberg007]

And still no patch

Seriously!

At this point, I'd even take a $10 upgrade or maybe even a $70 remake (knowing how shitty T-2 and Rockstar can be with all this stuff) over a free 60 FPS patch. But FFS, just give us something!

 

[coachmcguirk91]

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is going to be the biggest surprise of the year. The recent previews were outstanding. For sure a GOTY contender

 

[Kerotan]

Everyone talks about how well GTAV sells but what surprises me is how RDR2 is still up there.

Rockstar know that PS5/6 remaster in a few years will go crazy. Hopefully they reboot the online with continued support.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

GTA 5 is still the second best open world sand box ever created, behind only RDR2. And It's a right of passage for every kid that turns 13 to buy GTA V

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Genuinely curious what amazing non-indie, non-expansion, non-remake games have released this year?

Maybe Astrobot?

Shadow of the Erdtree offers more than most retail games and is arguably better.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape gets similar nods as the above.

Astrobot 2 is SOLID.

Space Marines 2 is a great all around game.

Helldivers 2 is no slouch.

Heard the Princess Zelda game is good.

Off the top of my head(I'm sure I'm missing some list)

Expansions will be included when the content is both large in size/playtime and praised.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Rockstar know that PS5/6 remaster in a few years will go crazy. Hopefully they reboot the online with continued support.

Gotta get people to stop buying the thing first.

And still no patch

We get remasters out the ass, which is fine - I've got no problem with that, yet we can't get a 60 fps patch for this or Bloodborne. The Pro is right there!!!

 

[Woopah]

Amazing new games released this year.

I think it's because of a smaller market like I said.
Do we have numbers?

Which markets do you consider to be big?

Also it's important to remember that these hardware numbers don't include Germany or the UK.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Which markets do you consider to be big?

Also it's important to remember that these hardware numbers don't include Germany or the UK.

NA is the biggest and much larger. Do we have numbers?

 

[coachmcguirk91]

Shadow of the Erdtree offers more than most retail games and is arguably better.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape gets similar nods as the above.

Astrobot 2 is SOLID.

Space Marines 2 is a great all around game.

Helldivers 2 is no slouch.

Heard the Princess Zelda game is good.

Off the top of my head(I'm sure I'm missing some list)

Expansions will be included when the content is both large in size/playtime and praised.

There have been a lot of very good games this year, but no generation defining games. The first 50 hrs of Helldivers 2 may be the exception, but they gotta figure out of way to make that game less repetitive as a GAAS game

I'm more excited for 5-6 games coming out next year than anything that came out this year. 2025 is going to crush

 

[Luminoth-4545]

This Years GSD European Hardware compared to 2023, they have been stingy with the percentages this year so i have used their vague information in place of the missing data.

Month	Playstation 5	Xbox Series	Switch	Overall	Overall Units Sold
January	moderate increase	minor decline	big decline	-1%	475,000
February	-2%	-47%	-7%	-14%	474,000
March	-31%	less than -31%	less than -31%	-27%	317,000
April	big decline	big decline	big decline	-47%	242,000
May	big decline	big decline	biggest decline	-40%	311,000
June	-10%	more than -10%	more than -10%	-24%	300,000
First Half	-16%	-37%	-32%	-24%	2,230,000
July	-56%	-42%	-29%	-46%	263,000
August	-50%	-29%	-25%	-42%	301,000

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Seriously!

At this point, I'd even take a $10 upgrade or maybe even a $70 remake (knowing how shitty T-2 and Rockstar can be with all this stuff) over a free 60 FPS patch. But FFS, just give us something!

Be quite happy to pay them £70 but they are too rich. It is very annoying

 

[Senua]

Seriously!

At this point, I'd even take a $10 upgrade or maybe even a $70 remake (knowing how shitty T-2 and Rockstar can be with all this stuff) over a free 60 FPS patch. But FFS, just give us something!

You can borrow my lowly 3080 to play at 60fps bro dw

 

[Fake]

Star Wars losing for a 11 year old game...

 

[PeteBull]

An 11 year old game being No1 is kinda... ooofff.

Just shows how big gta franchise actually is, i will double down on my 50m copies prediction first year of gta6 as long as it fulfills players expectations (no big downgrade compared to reveal trailer and no nasty wokeness pushed into our throats to the max).

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

GTA VI wll be freaking huge

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

There have been a lot of very good games this year, but no generation defining games. The first 50 hrs of Helldivers 2 may be the exception, but they gotta figure out of way to make that game less repetitive as a GAAS game

I'm more excited for 5-6 games coming out next year than anything that came out this year. 2025 is going to crush

A game doesn't have to generation defining to be considered great.
What's not broke should be used as a minimum.
Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is both a not broke and generation defining combo imo.
It made its mark in gaming history and will be a measuring stick for years to come.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Just shows how big gta franchise actually is, i will double down on my 50m copies prediction first year of gta6 as long as it fulfills players expectations (no big downgrade compared to reveal trailer and no nasty wokeness pushed into our throats to the max).

GTA VI is going to be the biggest media release event in history.

I’d expect hardware sales to go through the roof too.

 

[Woopah]

NA is the biggest and much larger. Do we have numbers?

The US is indeed by far the biggest market.

In July there were 771,000 consoles sold there, helped the College Football launch and the Xbox brand actually being alive.

Those two factors don't apply to continental Europe.

 

[Heisenberg007]

You can borrow my lowly 3080 to play at 60fps bro dw

Thanks, bro. My aging PC is able to play RDR 2 at 60, but it is one of those games I prefer on my couch/console. Been a few years since I last played it though.

 

[Xtib81]

For the love of god people, stop buying gta5 !! Rockstar is in no hurry as long as gta5 prints money.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

A game doesn't have to generation defining to be considered great.
What's not broke should be used as a minimum.
Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is both a not broke and generation defining combo imo.
It made its mark in gaming history and will be a measuring stick for years to come.

Fine. There were a lot of "great" games this year but no generation defining games, which most years have. Shadow of the Erdtree is possibly the best DLC ever, but in the end, it was just more Elden Ring. I didn't blow me away like a new experience would.

Elden Ring, to me, is pretty obviously the best game this generation, but I'd rather Fromsoft used those 2 years of resources to have developed a new game like Bloodborne or Sekiro. No way were they going to pass up all the money they made with the DLC expansion, understandably

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Fine. There were a lot of "great" games this year but no generation defining games, which most years have. Shadow of the Erdtree is possibly the best DLC ever, but in the end, it was just more Elden Ring. I didn't blow me away like a new experience would.

Elden Ring, to me, is pretty obviously the best game this generation, but I'd rather Fromsoft used those 2 years of resources to have developed a new game like Bloodborne or Sekiro. No way were they going to pass up all the money they made with the DLC expansion, understandably

Games don't have to be generation defining.

Some of my favorites to this day are on nes.

 

[Luminoth-4545]

When we see reports of PS5 sales being down compared to last year, worth bearing the above in mind.

Yep, last year was very successful for the PS5 in Europe. Here are the 2023 increases over 2022.

 

[Kerotan]

Gotta get people to stop buying the thing first.



We get remasters out the ass, which is fine - I've got no problem with that, yet we can't get a 60 fps patch for this or Bloodborne. The Pro is right there!!!

I'm starting to think GTA V will get a boost after GTA VI launches. We're gonna have top 10 months with GTA V, VI and RDR2 all featuring.

 

[yurinka]

NA is the biggest and much larger. Do we have numbers?

We have numbers, the biggest one is Asia.
Almost as big as NA + EU combined. NA isn't much bigger than EU.
Regarding countries, the top 1 and top 2 are USA and China, depending on the year one or the other is the top one.

 

[SomeGit]

For the love of god people, stop buying gta5 !! Rockstar is in no hurry as long as gta5 prints money.

And yet they rushed the trilogy de to market.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

We have numbers, the biggest one is Asia.
Almost as big as NA + EU combined. NA isn't much bigger than EU.
Regarding countries, the top 1 and top 2 are USA and China, depending on the year one or the other is the top one.

Thanks

 

[onQ123]

PS5 selling over 7X Xbox Series

 

[Panajev2001a]

And yet they rushed the trilogy de to market.

Every so many years they want to see if they can just sell crap and get people to buy it just because they are Rockstar.

 

[Fafalada]

We have numbers, the biggest one is Asia.
Almost as big as NA + EU combined. NA isn't much bigger than EU.

Do note - these are overall numbers (including mobile - which is majority of the market globally). But yea - Asia has grown massively since GaaS took off in 00s, and China has been neck&neck with US for around a decade now.

 

[yazenov]

PS5 selling over 7X Xbox Series

That's pathetic. Even worse is that the Switch is outselling the Xbox by 3.6x in its final year before the launch of the Switch 2.

Star Wars Outlaws sales are shit as expected.

 

[yurinka]

Star Wars Outlaws sales are shit as expected.

Please share a source of Ubisoft announcing its sales.

Do note - these are overall numbers (including mobile - which is majority of the market globally). But yea - Asia has grown massively since GaaS took off in 00s, and China has been neck&neck with US for around a decade now.

Yes.

Here you have mobile, handheld (including Switch Lite and Steamdeck), PC and home consoles (including here non-Lite Switch) split by region (document from a year and a half or so, I have to check if they updated it):

Asia is huge in mobile and PC. NA+Western EU are huge in portables and specially home consoles.

Mobile is the only market where NA is noticiable bigger than Western EU, which is pretty much the same than NA in home and portable consoles and PC.

 

[Erebus]

Can anyone explain to me how GTAV is still selling that much? I'm genuinely asking.

 

[owandeseis]

Console sales on Europe this year are quite tragic, holy..

PS4 sold on it's 4th year, 50% more consoles than PS5 is going to sell, well and Xbox One did like 130-150% more. I give Xbox 2-3 years to finally "disappear" on here, as soon as all stores don't even bother giving it even a small section of it.

And no wonder PS5 will fall behind against PS4 with the new price parity strategy things will only get worse, i mean 920€ for a Pro console with disc, good luck, and it's not like the standard has a great price either.

If Nintendo doesn't fuck up, they can do crazy numbers compared even to the Switch,

 

[pasterpl]

How is it possible that there are still so many people that didn’t buy GTA5 - it was top of the charts many times since the release. Even I bought (and I don’t like GTA games).

 

[DenchDeckard]

Gta vi is gonna be mental.

 

[rodrigolfp]

1	Grand Theft Auto 5 (Rockstar)
2	Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft)
3	Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros)
4	Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Deep Silver)
5	EA Sports FC 24 (EA)
6	Borderlands 3 (2K Games)
7	Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar)
8	Grand Theft Auto Online (Rockstar)

How is GTA Online =/= from GTA5???