Starting in March, millions of Americans were forced indoors by the coronavirus pandemic as shelter in place orders took place and social distancing was encouraged.
Unsurprisingly, at the same time, video game hardware and software sales skyrocketed. Millions of people, many with young children, suddenly needed ways to occupy vast quantities of time at home.
As such, Nintendo’s Switch has been outright sold out. The company’s latest major game, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is outright having a moment. And the latest “Call of Duty” is more popular than ever — despite having launched months ago.
Though “Animal Crossing” and “Call of Duty” lead the pack, March’s top 20 best-selling games list offers a fascinating look into what games people are playing in quarantine — here’s the full list:
1. “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”
Release date: March 20, 2020
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Notably, this list is compiled by The NPD Group and includes sales data from March 1, 2020 through April 5, 2020. In some cases — like “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” — data for online sales isn’t available.
2. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare”
Release date: October 25, 2019
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
3. “MLB The Show 20”
Release date: March 17, 2020
Platform(s): PlayStation 4
4. “Resident Evil 3”
Release date: April 3, 2020
Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC
5. “NBA 2K20”
Release date: September 6, 2019
Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PC
6. “DOOM Eternal”
Release date: March 20, 2020
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Google Stadia
7. “Persona 5: Royal”
Release date: March 31, 2020
Platform(s): PlayStation 4
8. “Grand Theft Auto V”
Release date: September 17, 2013
Platform(s): Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC
9. “Borderlands 3”
