Nearly 50% of Top-Selling PlayStation Games in the US Are from the Call of Duty Franchise

Celebrating 30 Years of PlayStation: A Deep Dive into Its Best-Selling Games

As we mark the official 30th anniversary of PlayStation in North America today, September 9, 2025, it’s worth reflecting on the impact this iconic gaming platform has had since its inception in 1995. To commemorate this milestone, PlayStation has launched a ‘Memories’ campaign aimed at celebrating the rich history and nostalgia associated with the console.

Revealing Insights from Circana

Notably, Mat Piscatella, Circana’s executive director, shared intriguing insights derived from their comprehensive sales data. According to his analysis, almost 50% of the all-time best-selling games on PlayStation consoles are from the Call of Duty series. This statistic underscores the immense popularity and commercial success of this franchise.

Top Sellers Over Three Decades

Piscatella commemorated PlayStation’s birthday by publishing a chart featuring the top 20 best-selling titles across PlayStation platforms in the United States, as of July 2025. This list is categorized based on both dollar sales and units sold, providing a multifaceted view of gaming trends over the years.

Dollar Sales Breakdown

In the realm of dollar sales, 11 out of the top 20 games are titles from the Call of Duty franchise, undeniably dominating this metric. This indicates a strong consumer preference for these titles in terms of revenue generation.

Units Sold Insights

When analyzing units sold, the Call of Duty series claims nine of the top 20 spots. While these figures highlight the success of the Call of Duty games, it’s intriguing to note the presence of first-party titles in the top tier.

Happy (NA) Birthday to PlayStation, first released on September 9, 1995. Here are the top 20 all-time best-selling games on PlayStation platforms in the US, from Circana’s Retail Tracking Service.

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-09-09T13:43:33.742Z

First-party Titles and Iconic Games

Interestingly, the only first-party titles from PlayStation Studios that made the dollar sales list are recent releases from Insomniac Games: Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Additionally, on the units sold side, both Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel’s Spider-Man secured spots, alongside notable games like The Last of Us from Naughty Dog and God of War (2018) by Sony Santa Monica.

Unexpected Entries

An unexpected contender on the sales chart is Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which ranks number 10 in dollar sales. The game’s popularity was undoubtedly bolstered by the necessity of purchasing a specialized controller, which contributed to its sales figures during its peak popularity.

The Unrivaled Success of Grand Theft Auto V

Unsurprisingly, Grand Theft Auto V occupies the top position for both dollar sales and units sold. Following closely behind in units sold are Minecraft, Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019). Meanwhile, the dollar sales rankings feature Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 filling out the top five.

Conclusion: Dominance of Call of Duty

This sales data clearly illustrates the phenomenal success of the Call of Duty franchise within the US market. While critically acclaimed titles such as The Last of Us, God of War, and Marvel’s Spider-Man play pivotal roles in shaping PlayStation’s identity, they rarely match the sales figures achieved by Call of Duty, which continues to dominate each release cycle.

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