Outriders Soars Up Sales Charts Despite Launching On Xbox Game Pass

The NPD Group has published its US game sales report for March 2021, and they seem to further confirm that a game's inclusion on Xbox Game Pass does not doom its sales. Outriders, a surprise hit that launched day-and-date on the service, still managed to put up impressive numbers on Xbox. And according to the charts, it actually performed similarly to the PlayStation version

Outriders managed to take the third spot on the Xbox top-sellers list for March 2021, trailing only Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This put it above other huge games like Madden NFL 21 and Forza Horizon 4, both of which are also available on Xbox Game Pass. The game actually came out on April 1, but the sales data extended to April 3, meaning it did this in just a few days. It could very well stay high on the list for next month, as well. 

But Outriders also managed to take the third spot on the PlayStation charts, only trailing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Spider-Man: Miles Morales while actually beating Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Outriders was third on the all-platform charts, as well, and because many of the games on that list are from last year, it's likely to climb even higher.

Given the franchise's huge popularity, it shouldn't be a big surprise that Monster Hunter Rise took the top spot for the Nintendo Switch March 2021 chart, and it's the only game Nintendo didn't publish on the list at all. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars rounded out the top five. This might be the last time we see 3D All-Stars on the list, as sales were ended on March 31, but retailers still have the game in stock in some areas.

As far as hardware is concerned, the PS5 continues its record-setting pace. Through five months, it's the fastest-selling console in US history, both in terms of dollar and unit sales. This is despite its limited availability, which many continue through the year due to semiconductor shortages. The Switch was actually the best-selling console of March, however, and hardware sales overall were up by about 47% compared to a year ago, which was early in the pandemic.

March 2021 Best-Sellers For All Platforms In The US

    Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
    Monster Hunter Rise
    Outriders
    Super Mario 3D World*
    Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
    Mario Kart 8
    Assassin's Creed Valhalla
    Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
    Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
    Minecraft
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
    Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
    Pokemon Sword and Shield*
    Mortal Kombat 11
    Crash Bandicoot 4
    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    Madden NFL 21
    NBA 2K21
    Super Mario Party
    FIFA 21

*Digital sales not included
March 2021 Nintendo Sales

    Monster Hunter Rise
    Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
    Mario Kart 8
    Animal Crossing: New Horizons
    Super Mario 3D All-Stars
    Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
    Pokemon Sword and Shield
    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
    Super Mario Party
    Luigi's Mansion 3