2020 was an extraordinary year and changed all our lives. The availability of important resources like toilet paper, the PS5, the new Xbox, and graphics cards reached a historic low. What many have suspected is now confirmed by Google Trends 2020.
What the Google Trends 2020 indicate: Every year, Google releases its own year in review. The most searched terms and questions of the year are categorized into trends and published for all users.
Google presents the most frequently searched terms and W-questions:
- Where questions: Where can I get a face mask?
- Why questions: Why is everyone buying toilet paper?
- When questions: When will the schools open again?
The questions already indicate that the Google Trends 2020 were dominated by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
In the USA, users increasingly searched for “Dating during Corona”, “Are dentists open during Corona” and “How do I wash my hands”. With the release of Sony’s new console, US users wondered one thing far more than anything else:
Where can I buy a PlayStation 5?
The most frequently asked “Where to buy…” question is not about everyday essentials like toilet paper or hand sanitizer, but about the new PlayStation.
Xbox Series X ranking 4th: After the launch disaster of the PlayStation 5 and the new Xbox Series X, it is not surprising that both consoles made it into the top 5:
Where to buy…
- PS5
- toilet paper
- face masks
- Xbox Series X
- hand sanitizer
The Nintendo Switch, which was also mostly sold out at the beginning of the lockdown, ranks 7th in the Google Trends.
We regularly report on the availability of the PlayStation 5 and provide you with the latest information about Sony’s new console.
As early as September, we reported on issues during the second pre-order wave. Back then, the PlayStation 5 was already valued higher than toilet paper.
Google Trends 2020: Games
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, also provides an overview of the most frequently searched games by US users. This list contains some surprises that no one expected at the beginning of 2020. At number one is a game that is flourishing two years after its release: Among Us.
- Among Us
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Valorant
- Genshin Impact
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Animal Crossing
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- The Last of Us 2
- Madden NFL 21
- Jackbox
Surprisingly, neither Cyberpunk 2077 nor World of Warcraft: Shadowlands made it into the top 10. And this despite the fact that WoW Shadowlands is the fastest selling PC game of all time.
The Google Year in Review in Germany
Many of the search queries in Germany align with the global search queries. The reason for this is the global Covid-19 pandemic, which significantly shaped 2020. The Google Trends for Germany show that even in Germany, more people searched for the PlayStation 5 than for toilet paper.
In Germany, we wondered: “Why is everyone buying toilet paper?” The question about toilet paper takes fifth place in the “Why questions”. Looking at the Google Trends for Germany, we get an accurate year in review. “Where is the hurricane now?”, which is related to the massive storm from February 2020.
2020 is coming to an end. What remains is the hope that in 2021 things will get better. With the firm belief that retailers have stock full of consoles, graphics cards, and toilet paper.
