2017 was a pretty massive year for games with the release of Nintendo’s new portable/home console hybrid, the Nintendo Switch, and the number of critically acclaimed exclusives that it brought with it, major releases like Destiny 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and the annual Call of Duty release. The industry brought in over $3 billion worth of gaming related sales in December 2017 alone.
With that said, tons of games sold mountains worth of copies such as Call of Duty: WWII. Thanks to the industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, we have a breakdown of the top 10 best selling games of 2017 which includes the likes of NBA, Destiny 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and more. Perhaps the most interesting thing to note is that Rockstar Games’ four-year-old crime thriller, Grand Theft Auto V managed to come in at #6 on this list, beating out Star Wars, two Mario games, and Ghost Recon. It shows there is still a massive craving for Rockstar’s critically acclaimed game centered around the criminal underworld of San Andreas, even after reaching 85 million copies sold as of last summer.
Another interesting note is that three Nintendo Switch games made the list, the only three games that are console exclusives on this list. These games managed to outsell Assassin’s Creed Origins, Wolfenstein II, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Horizon Zero Dawn, and many other major 2017 releases despite only being on one console.
Overall
- Call of Duty: WWII
- NBA 2K18
- Destiny 2*
- Madden NFL 18
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild**
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Star Wars: Battlefront II 2017*
- Super Mario Odyssey**
- Mario Kart 8**
Below you’ll find a breakdown of each console’s top 10 best selling games. Some notable exemptions are Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Persona 5 on the PS4 and Forza Motorsport 7 and Halo Wars 2 on Xbox One. Skyrim also pops back up on the NPD for the first time in a while thanks to its Nintendo Switch release in November where it performed strongly in the last two months of the year.
Xbox One
- Call of Duty: WWII
- Destiny 2*
- NBA 2K18
- Madden NFL 18
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Star Wars: Battlefront II 2017*
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Assassin’s Creed: Origins
- For Honor
- Injustice 2
PlayStation 4
- Call of Duty: WWII
- NBA 2K18
- Destiny 2*
- Madden NFL 18
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Star Wars: Battlefront II 2017*
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- FIFA 18*
- MLB 17: The Show
Nintendo Switch**
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Mario Kart 8
- Splatoon 2
- Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
- ARMS
- Pokken Tournament DX
- 1-2 Switch
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Nintendo 3DS**
- Pokemon: Ultra Sun
- Pokemon: Ultra Moon
- Pokemon: Sun
- Pokemon: Moon
- Super Mario Maker
- Metroid: Samus Returns
- Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia
- Super Smash Bros.
- Mario Kart 7
- Poochy and Yoshi’s Wolly World