According to NPD results for June 2021, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was the best-selling title in the United States during its launch month, despite PlayStation 5 stock shortages. The latest Ratchet & Clank entry is already proving an important release for PS5, counting as the platform's third real exclusive following Demon's Souls and Returnal before it.
However, many continue to struggle to secure the PlayStation 5 itself, thanks in large part to the ongoing semiconductor shortage. Low stock on current-gen consoles has vexed many an eager gamer for several months, with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S proving difficult to find in the wild. Numerous retailers have taken to only selling the hardware online, but even patiently awaiting restocks via virtual stores won't guarantee customers come away happy after hours of refreshing store pages and apps. Still, it's clear that millions of PS5 owners were excited to check out Insomniac's latest galactic adventure.
A lengthy Twitter thread from NPD analyst Mat Piscatella provides extensive details about gaming sales in the U.S. for June 2021. Notably, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart sits atop the top 20 sellers list, followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War at number two and Mario Golf: Super Rush's debut at number three. MLB The Show 21 and Scarlet Nexus rounded out the best-sellers at four and five, respectively. It's worth noting that Super Rush's placement doesn't take digital sales into account; similarly, Xbox digital sales aren't counted for MLB The Show. Still, this seems quite the feat for Ratchet & Clank, especially considering how difficult it is to find PS5 consoles in stores.
Perhaps Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's success shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, though? As of April 2021, PlayStation 5 had moved an incredible 7.8 million units worldwide, slightly outpacing PS4's sales of 7.6 million in the same period. And by the end of this year, Sony expects to have sold more than 14 million PS5 systems in total.
Ratchet & Clank could have legs, too, continuously appearing on best-seller lists for months to come. That's currently where Spider-Man: Miles Morales stands as the go-to purchase for early PS5 adopters. As the list above shows, Miles Morales keeps moving in and out of the top 10 in the U.S. The game's staying power shows in other territories as well, evidenced in Miles Morales' recent climb atop UK sales charts due to PS5 restocks.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is available digitally and at retail for the PlayStation 5.
Source: Mat Piscatella/Twitter