FIFA 22 got off to a poorer physical start than FIFA 21 in the UK

With 35% less physical sales compared to the previous section during the same period, the start of FIFA 22 in the United Kingdom could raise fears of a collapse of the franchise. Only that would be to obscure the omnipotence of EA and its goose with the golden cards.

Unlike last year when containment measures had greatly benefited digital sales, 2021 was expected to put the physical market back into working order.

If we focus on FIFA 22 and its first days on the British market, we will then see the opposite effect: physical sales in decline. GamesIndustry.biz reports as well as FIFA 22, despite having chased Mario Kart 8 Deluxe No. 1 on the UK charts, sold fewer boxed copies than its predecessor. We are talking about a drop of more than 35%.

FIFA 22 UK: 5% of Switch sales

So is there anything to worry about for FIFA games on a commercial level? Far from it, since an even stronger drop had been noted last year. When it was launched across the Channel, FIFA 21 had thus sold more than 42% of boxed versions less than FIFA 20. The Covid effect, no doubt.

The share of digital is also not to be neglected, and with the discounts promised to members of its EA Play subscription service and to pre-orderers of FIFA 22, the purchase of the title in downloadable version could appear such a better deal than in physical.

In detail, 64% of units sold were on PlayStation consoles. Far ahead, the PS4 version with a proportion of 41%, followed by the Xbox One version with 27% and the PS5 version at 23%.

Note that only 4% of sales of FIFA 22 in the UK have been on Xbox Series X / S, a percentage lower than its Essential Edition on Switch. And for the latter case, the eternal question remains: are sales low because Electronic Arts provides the minimum service at Nintendo, or because the FIFA audience is not here no matter what? The lack of competition on the medium should not encourage the slightest questioning on EA’s side, and in the end, maybe everyone loses.