For the first time in years, video game usage worldwide could fall.
Video game sales are expected to fall 1.2% this year after gaining 5% a year ago, according to a report from Ampere Analysis.
The report showed a huge jump in video game sales between 2019 and 2020 as the pandemic forced many in the world to remain home.
While global inflation is playing a factor in its report, Ampere Analysis also expects a drop in sales in Russia will also play a role. Russia is expected to drop from the 10th-largest gaming network to No. 14. Video game sales are expected to drop $1.2 billion in Russia alone.
The supply chain is also affecting access to consoles, especially in China, the analysis noted.
“After two years of huge expansion, the games market is poised to hand back a bit of that growth in 2022 as multiple factors combine to undermine performance,” said Piers Harding Rolls, research director for Ampere Anaylsis. “Even so, the year will end well ahead of pre- pandemic performance, and the outlook for the sector as a whole remains positive, with growth forecast to return in 2023.”
