Sales of video game hardware, mostly consoles, jumped 76 percent to $192.8 million during the month compared to a year ago, more than offsetting a 10-percent drop in sales of game software to $227.9 million, NPD reported.
Overall video game sales rose 17 percent to $580.3 million from the same month last year, according to NPD.
PS4 was the top-selling console for the fourth consecutive month, followed by Microsoft's Xbox One.
"Call of Duty: Ghosts."
NPD estimated that the total spent in the US on video games topped a billion dollars during the month after adding in rentals, mobile apps, social network play, subscriptions, digital downloads, and other non-traditional revenue channels.
Microsoft said Tuesday it would sell a reduced-price version of its Xbox One console without the Kinect motion detection system. The move comes with Microsoft locked in a tough battle with Sony, which has been leading the game console market with its next-generation PlayStation 4.
To further sweeten the deal, Microsoft this week announced that it would let users view popular entertainment apps such as Netflix and ESPN without a $60-plus "Live" subscription, hoping to spur sales against rival devices like Sony's PlayStation 4 and Amazon's Fire TV.
Sales of the Xbox One console have lagged Sony's PS4 since their holiday launches. Microsoft Corp said last month it has sold over 5 million Xbox One video game consoles as of April 17. The console went on sale on November 22 in 13 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, a week before Sony's PS4 which sold more than 7 million units as of April 6.
Written with inputs from AFP and Reuters
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