The UK gaming market saw a double-digit increase in sales last year despite a drop-in consumer spending in non-essential goods.
According to new data from UK Interactive Entertainment (UKie), sales grew 12.4 per cent in 2017, largely driven by game software sales.
Although the majority of growth was secured from online and digital game sales, physical games also saw an unexpected boost thanks to triple-A releases like Call of Duty WW2 and FIFA 18.
“New hardware such as the Switch have driven retail sales, virtual reality hardware looks healthy and digital games across all platforms continue to grow,” UKie chief executive Dr Jo Twist said.
This has led analysts to hail a “renaissance” in console gaming, with sales of games consoles up nearly a third.
Second-hand game sales, a key part of the market, suffered a 15 per cent drop due to the success of new games, with Call of Duty WW2, FIFA 18, Grand Theft Auto V, Assassin’s Creed Origins and Star Wars Battlefront 2 holding the top five spots in terms of sales in 2017.
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