2023 Australian Video Game Consumer Sales continue stable growth
Video game consumer sales data released today by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) reveals that Australians spent $4.4 billion AUD on video games and video game-related hardware, a 5% increase on last year’s report. The data details an increase of 11% in a growing digital market valued at $1.67 billion AUD, and stability across traditional retail and mobile gaming sales.
“The traditional retail video games market in 2023 witnessed relatively stagnant growth compared to 2022, driven by increased spend in software across the board, with Hogwarts Legacy emerging as the best-selling physical title in Australia for 2023. The year also marked a resurgence in PC gaming compared to 2022,” said Aidan Sakiris, APAC Regional Manager for Product Marketing & Reporting at Sparkers.
“Further full-game software spend saw a decline of 6% while hardware remained relatively flat. This was attributed to a decrease in Nintendo Switch hardware sales and balanced by the continued growth of PlayStation 5. With the expanding install base of the PS5 in 2023, first-party gaming accessories naturally experienced similar growth.”
“The Australian video game market continues to show resilience as we enter the fourth year of the current console generation, as well as four years post-pandemic lockdowns. Looking ahead, the industry seems to be back on track with planned development schedules, as consumers anticipate a variety of software releases, some of which are expected to gain traction due to the strong install base of current-generation platform,” continued Sakiris.
Aussies continue to subscribe to entertainment in 2023, spending $329 million AUD on video game-related subscriptions. This was a 31% increase on 2022, which was a 55% increase on 2021. Digital sales across full-game purchases and in-game purchases also saw strong improvements, as 2023 saw numerous AAA titles released into the market to support online retailers.
“With year-on-year growth for digital product, Australia’s market grew above the global average of +0.5%. The PC segment grew strongest, driven by performance in Full Game Digital sales and very strong performance in Downloadable Content (DLC). The same segments performed notably well in the console segment: full-game digital sales grew, whereas these declined in the global market. In-game transactions also increased based on the previous year. As was the case last year, the appetite in Australia for multi-game subscriptions remains above average. In 2023, the growth in this segment was 2x the global average,” said Tom Wijman, Lead Analyst Games, Newzoo.
Traditional retail and mobile gaming saw stability this year, with an increase of 0.5% in spending for retail, and 1% in mobile from the 2022 data.
“The Australian consumer sales data has shown us this year that video games are here to stay. Digital sales are up 11%, traditional bricks-and-mortar up half a percent, and overall, a growth of nearly 200 million dollars over 2022 sales,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Australians love to play video games, whether it be to connect with family and friends, to relax, or for entertainment. Subscriptions are on the rise and are offering an alternative access point to Australians. However, with over $900 million spent on full-game software, traditional retail and online retail continue to be the cornerstone of distribution to a consumer base that continues to grow.”
You can view this year’s consumer sales data, and previous data reports on the IGEA website. You can also view the New Zealand consumer report here.
About the Author
Andrew Bistak When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.
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