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 Circana, that it was, unsurprisingly, the best selling game of 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. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Hogwarts Legacy
3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
4. Dead Island 2
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
6. MLB: The Show 23
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. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
4. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
5. Resident Evil 4 Remake
6. MLB: The Show 23
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. However, year-to-date consumer spending so far, compared to 2022, is flat, coming in at $21.8 billion. 

Spending on video game content – software – grew 9% last month compared to May 2022, reaching $3.6 billion, Piscatella reports. On the physical games market, software spending reached its highest May total last month since 2014. For hardware, consumers spent $427 million last month, the highest in hardware spending in a May month since 2008. Year-to-date hardware spending is 23% higher overall compared to 2022 spending, coming in at $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. 

Regarding accessories, spending during May 2023 increased 14% compared to May 2022, hitting $159 million. 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. 

For more, read Game Informer’s review of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and then check out these two new Tears of the Kingdom Amiibo figures coming later this year. After that, read about what you receive for completing all 152 of Tears of the Kingdom’s shrines. 

Are you still playing Tears of the Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!