Substantial increase of 10% compared to pre-corona year 2019

Slight decrease of 3% compared to corona year 2021

FIFA 23 best-selling videogame

Nintendo Switch best-selling videogame device

 

Brussels, March 30th 2023 – For the year 2022, the total economic value of videogames in Belgium amounts to €582 million*, which is a solid growth of 10% compared to the pre-corona year 2019. It is a slight decrease of 3% compared to the record year of 2021.

“This slight decline from 2021 was to be expected,” explains David Verbruggen, CEO of BelgianGames. “Sales during the corona years 2020 and 2021 were historically high for our sector due to lockdowns and the absence of other forms of leisure and entertainment, such as hobbies, cinema visits and travel. Incidentally, the sharp increase over 2019 is also due to the pandemic. During corona, more and more people started playing videogames and our market grew.”

Research previously found that average videogame play time in Europe peaked during the most difficult periods of the pandemic but quickly normalized once some measures eased. Here are a few other striking figures and trends for the year 2022:

  • FIFA appears twice in the TOP5 of best-selling pc and videogames: the ’23 edition ranks first, the ’22 edition grabs fifth spot
  • Counting only physical games (sold in physical version through physical or online retailers), the TOP5 best-selling pc and videogames would include no less than three Nintendo Switch exclusive titles: Pokémon Legends Arceus, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Nintendo Switch Sports.
  • In the TOP5 best-selling videogame devices, the Xbox Series S and X consoles climb from fourth to second place compared to 2021.
  • In the TOP5 best-selling prepaid cards for videogames, the PlayStation Store Wallet card ranks first, just as it did in 2021.
  • In 2022, there were no less than 148 million mobile game downloads in Belgium on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store combined. That’s 1 million more thanin 2021.

 

TOP5 best-selling pc and console videogames in Belgium in 2022

  1. FIFA 23
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
  3. Grand Theft Auto V
  4. Elden Ring
  5. FIFA 22

TOP5 mobile games in Belgium in 2022

  1. Candy Crush Saga
  2. Roblox
  3. Pokémon GO
  4. Clash of Clans
  5. State of Survival: Zombie War

TOP5 free mobile games in Belgium in 2022

  1. Stumble Guys
  2. Subway Surfers
  3. Roblox
  4. Fishdom
  5. Fill The Fridge

TOP5 best-selling videogame devices** in Belgium in 2022

  1. Nintendo Switch
  2. Xbox Series
  3. PlayStation 5
  4. Nintendo Switch Lite
  5. META Quest

TOP5 best-selling prepaid cards for videogames in Belgium in 2022

  1. PlayStation Store Wallet
  2. Xbox Live Gift Card
  3. Nintendo eShop Card
  4. Roblox Game Card
  5. Steam Wallet