Gaming is getting more expensive on average, data shows

Based on recent data, figures show that the sales for both physical and digital video games have increased over the past five years.

Despite an increase in the cost of living in the UK, the average amount of money spent on a video game has increased. Courtesy of data by the GfK via the Entertainment Retailer’s Association Yearbook, the average amount spent per physical game increased by 6.7% last year. This boosted the average to £36.47. 

This news comes thanks to GamesIndustry.Biz. 

An increase was also seen for digital game sales. The average increased by 7.3% during last year, taking the average costs to £15.19. These changes could be a result of various price hikes, according to Omdia (seen in Eurogamer). 

As a result, the average retail price of video games has risen by 12% since 2017. 

Credit: Xbox

Larger price tags

This comes as no surprise when some of the biggest selling games have a £70 price tag in the UK. Current-gen prices have steadily increased over the years, with triple-A games leading the market. 

Popular titles such as FIFA 23 saw 2.5 million sales and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reaching a staggering 1.68 million. Furthermore, God of War Ragnarok hit 670,000 sales and Horizon Forbidden West reached 530,000.

Consoles have also been hit with price increases recently. Sony raised the price of the Playstation 5 by £30 last year, blaming inflation for these rising costs. 

Xbox have also followed suit by recently announcing a price increase to $70 for their big titles. This could see highly-anticipated games such as Starfield and Redfall being sold at a higher price point. Luckily for Xbox, their Xbox Game Pass service can make this more manageable. 

Credit: Bethesda

Online vs Retailers

Further data reveals that only 3.2% of game sales came from physical stores. In comparison, a staggering 96.8% was split between online stores and digital downloads. 

The Pandemic meant high street retailers saw a decrease in sales. However, sales rose to £110 million in 2022 which was an increase compared to £84.1 million back in 2021. Despite this, it was still a decrease from 2019’s £227.4 million. 

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