As of May 23, Animal Crossing: New Horizons remains top of the UK gaming charts, seeing off competition from blockbuster games, such as FIFA 20, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, and new-entries Maneater and Saints Row: The Third Remastered.
The latest Animal Crossing title has been an unprecedented hit. While the series always had a large dedicated following, it’s always been seen as a bit of a cult brand.
However, when the Nintendo Switch exclusive released on March 20, 2020, it quickly became clear that the title had struck a chord with gamers globally. Within two weeks of its launch, the title had sold over 11-million copies, and, according to EssentiallySports, has now surpassed the total earnings of series’ previous instalments combined.
Related: The best Nintendo Switch games
This chart-topping position also comes on the back of reports from Superdata (via GameIndustry) that New Horizons accrued 3.6-million digital downloads in April, comfortably beating its nearest rival, the PS4's highly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Remake, which reached a more than respectable 2.2-million units.
This is all good news for the Japanese gaming godfather Nintendo. As seen on UKIE's top 40 chart, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the console claims over a quarter of the top 40 UK gaming chart with 13 titles. Other Switch titles include Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Luigi’s Mansion 3.
While Nintendo is leading the charts and witnessing a gigantic swell in demand for Switch and Switch Lite consoles, their success is not happening in isolation. The wider gaming industry has seen a boom in sales of both hardware and gaming content as a result of the coronavirus and restricted movement.
Related: The best Switch accessories
Sony’s PS4 console recently topped 110-million units sold, making it one of the most successful consoles ever, and at the beginning of May it was disclosed that its digital download market rise to make up 51% of its revenue (via [Metro](https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/13/ps5-release-date-confirmed-2020-ps4-sales-hit-110-million-12695053/2695053/)). This marketshare is sure to spike soon, with the upcoming release of The Last Of Us Part 2{
This news correlates with new from the US which show their gaming market has also boomed during the coronavirus outbreak, as detailed on Augustman.