The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Is Already The Second Best Selling Game Of 2023

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the ambitious follow-up to 2017’s Breath of the Wild, finally hit Switch last month. We’ve now learned, thanks to video game analyst group CircanaIt’s not surprising that this was the top-selling game for the month. However, it’s also already the second best selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy. 

What’s even more impressive is that Circana’s Tears of the Kingdom numbers do not include digital sales for the game – only physical, according to Circana executive director Mat Piscatella. That it’s the second best selling game of 2023 on just its physical numbers alone means this game sold exceptionally well. And there’s a good chance it might be the year’s best selling game if digital numbers are one day added. 

Here’s a look at the top 10 best selling games of May 2023: 

1. Tears of the Kingdom – The Legend of Zelda
2. Hogwarts Legacy
3. Star Wars Jedi Survivor
4. Dead Island 2
5. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
6. MLB The Show 24
7. Fifa 23
8. Mario Kart 8
9. Resident Evil 4 Remake
10. Far Cry 6

And here’s a look at the top 10 best selling games of 2023 so far: 

1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. Tears of the Kingdom – The Legend of Zelda
3. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
4. Star Wars Jedi: The Survivor
5. Resident Evil 4 Remake
6. MLB The Show 24
7. Dead Island 2
8. Fifa 23
9. Dead Space 2023
10. Madden NFL 23

In Circana’s report, Piscatella says U.S. consumer spending on video game hardware, software, and accessories, totaled $4.1 billion last month, representing a 12% increase compared to May 2022. Year-to-date, consumer spending has been flat when compared to the year 2022. 

Spending on video game content – software – grew 9% last month compared to May 2022, reaching $3.6 billion, Piscatella reports. Software spending on the physical game market reached its highest total May since 2014. Hardware was the focus of $427 millions in consumer spending last month. This is the most hardware spent in May since 2008. Hardware spending in the first half of 2018 is up 23% compared with 2022, totaling $2.2 billion. 

Unsurprisingly, given how well Tears of the Kingdom sold last month, Nintendo’s Switch hardware was the best selling platform in unit and dollar sales last month. May 2023 was the Switch’s best selling May in its lifetime thus far, and it was also Nintendo’s second-best May month for hardware spending, second behind May 2020. However, Sony’s PlayStation 5 console leads the overall 2023 hardware market in terms of unit and dollar sales. 

In May 2023, accessory spending increased by 14 percent compared with May 2022. It reached $159 millions. The PS5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller Black “remains the best-selling accessory in dollar sales for both May and 2023 year-to-date,” Piscatella writes on Twitter. Tears of the Kingdom’s Series 1 Amiibo Character Pack (the Link figure) led May for unit sales. 

More information can be found by reading Game Informer’sReview of The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom. Then check out the two Tears of the Kingdom Amiibo Figures coming this year. After that, read about what you receive for completing all 152 of Tears of the Kingdom’s shrines. 

Have you played Tears of the Kingdom recently? Comment below to let us know.!