Years later, Starfield tops the US sales chart again, but all is not as rosy as it seems
Starfield has returned to the top of the US video game sales chart following its PlayStation 5 release, marking the first time the title has led weekly US best-selling charts since its original launch in September 2023. The game sold approximately 140,000 copies on PS5 during its first week on the platform.
While the achievement represents a significant commercial milestone, the circumstances suggest the success may be less impressive than headline numbers indicate. Market analysts have characterized the PS5 debut as “a middling start” when compared to player expectations. The sales figures may have benefited from excitement surrounding the Artemis 2 space mission, which generated broader cultural interest in space-related content.
Competition during the sales week was notably weak, with MLB The Show 26 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 following in second and third positions. This limited competitive pressure likely contributed to Starfield’s chart-topping performance. Additionally, the 140,000 first-week PS5 sales are characterized as underperforming compared to recent Xbox first-party releases, though the numbers still outpaced other recent titles such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2.
The PS5 port represents a significant expansion of Starfield’s audience beyond its original Xbox and PC platforms, though the strength of that expansion appears more modest than the number-one ranking might suggest.