Video games have become cultural phenomenon on par with blockbuster films, raking in fortunes from legions of devoted fans whose ire can be fierce if play disappoints.
Xbox diehards may be alarmed by the end of exclusivity for some of the console's biggest games, pointing to Sega, which abandoned console making in the early 2000s, no longer able to compete with Sony and Nintendo.
Spending on video game content, hardware and accessories in the United States reached $57.2 billion in 2023, up just one percent from the previous year, according to market tracker Circana.
Money spent on video game hardware was $6.6 billion, essentially the same as in 2022, with PlayStation 5 sales offsetting declines of Xbox and Nintendo Switch purchases, Circana reported.
"Hogwarts Legacy", which is available on multiple platforms for play, was the top selling game of last year in the United States, Circana reported.
