GTA 5 Tops European Charts Again Thanks to Digital Summer Sales

Grand Theft Auto 5, the nearly decade-old game from Rockstar, has once again claimed the number one spot in the European sales charts for the month of July. The game, which was originally released in 2013, has sold over 175 million copies worldwide across various platforms. However, this has not stopped European gamers from buying the game as part of the digital summer sales on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Digital Sales Boost GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2

According to the data from GSD, which tracks digital and physical sales from major AAA game publishers across Europe, GTA 5 regained its top position thanks to the summer promotions on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The game received notable discounts on both consoles, especially for PlayStation users. GTA 5 was followed by FIFA 23 and Diablo 4 in the second and fourth spots respectively.

Another Rockstar title that benefited from the digital sales was Red Dead Redemption 2, which secured the third spot in the European charts. The game, which was released in 2018, is a critically acclaimed open-world western adventure that has also sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are expected to receive enhanced versions for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year.

Pikmin 4 is the Highest Charting New Game

The highest charting new game in July was Pikmin 4, which debuted at the 11th spot. The game is a Nintendo Switch exclusive that is a sequel to the popular strategy series that features cute plant-like creatures. Pikmin 4 achieved its highest chart position ever, surpassing the performance of Pikmin 3: Deluxe in October 2020. The game’s sales increased by 81% compared to its predecessor.

However, it should be noted that Nintendo does not share digital download numbers for its games. Therefore, the actual sales of Pikmin 4 could be higher than what is reported by GSD. The same applies to other Nintendo Switch exclusives, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which ranked sixth in July, and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, which ranked 13th.

PS5 Leads Console Sales in Europe

In terms of hardware, there were 493,000 gaming consoles sold across monitored European nations in July. This marks a 62.5% increase from July 2022 but represents a 2% decrease compared to June of this year. The PS5 asserted a commanding lead for the month, experiencing a substantial 244% increase in console sales compared to the same period last year. Strong price promotions contributed to its notable 24% rise in sales compared to June. Impressively, PS5 sales across the monitored regions have surged by 203% year-to-date.

The Nintendo Switch concluded the month in the runner-up position. It experienced a 9% decrease in sales compared to July 2022. As for the year-to-date figures, its sales remained unchanged from last year. The Xbox Series X/S ranked third in console sales, with a slight increase of 3% compared to June. However, its year-to-date sales have dropped by 12% compared to last year.

You can check out the top 15 best-selling games in Europe for July below:

*Note: Nintendo does not share digital download numbers.