God of War and PS4 Top a Very Healthy April According to NPD

The NPD Group have released their full April sales data, and, as expected, it was a good month for Sony, as God of War and the PS4 topped the software and hardware charts, respectively. Overall, it was a big month for the industry with consumers spending $823 on games and hardware, up from $699 million for April 2017. It was the industry's best April since 2015.

On the hardware front, the PS4 had the best April of any console since the Wii in 2009, and continues to be 2018’s best-selling console to date. NPD didn’t reveal where the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch ranked next to the PS4, but all the consoles remain strong, with hardware spending for the January to April period up 14 percent over last year.

In addition to God of War at #1, new additions to the software chart include Nintendo Labo at #4 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze at #5. March titles Far Cry 5 and MLB: The Show 18 stayed strong at #2 and #3, respectively, but Sea of Thieves and Kirby Star Allies dropped off hard, plunging to #18 and #19.

Here’s NPD’s full April software top 20:

1. God of War
2. Far Cry 5
3. MLB: The Show 18
4. Labo Variety Kit
5. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
6. Mario Kart 8
7. Grand Theft Auto V
8. Call of Duty: WWII
9. Super Mario Odyssey
10. NBA 2K18
11. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
12. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
13. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
14. Monster Hunter: World
15. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
16. A Way Out
17. Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life
18. Sea Of Thieves
19. Kirby Star Allies
20. FIFA 18

And here’s the updated list of the best-selling games of the past 12 months:

1. Call of Duty: WWII
2. NBA 2K18
3. Destiny 2
4. Madden NFL 18
5. Super Mario Odyssey
6. Star Wars: Battlefront II 2017
7. Grand Theft Auto V
8. Far Cry 5
9. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
10. Mario Kart 8

2018 is certainly off to a hot start! What games did you pick up in April? Surprised by any of NPD’s sales figures?