Video Game Consoles Are Selling for 12% More in the U.S. This Year Than Last Year

Video crippled hardware is selling amended than ever successful the U.S., according to Circana. But that's besides due to the fact that it's much costly than ever - 12% much costly per portion sold than past year.

This comes from Circana's August report, which showed that hardware spending was up 32% year-over-year acknowledgment to the Nintendo Switch 2, income of which offset double-digit declines successful income of PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Switch 1. Currently, per Circana, Nintendo Switch 2 income are trending 77% up of the Switch 1's income implicit the aforesaid period.

As Piscatella noted connected Bluesky, "With 2.4M units sold LTD [life-to-date] implicit its archetypal 3 months market, Nintendo Switch 2 is present 5% up of the erstwhile grounds mounting gait of PlayStation 4, which sold 2.2M units during the 3 months ending January 2014."

Circana besides notes that hardware spending year-to-date has grown 20% year-over-year, and portion income are up 6.5%. But that's not needfully due to the fact that radical are buying much consoles. The mean merchantability terms of 1 portion of video crippled hardware is up 12.3%, to $453 per unit.

"Yes, hardware is doing good truthful acold this twelvemonth (thanks to Nintendo Switch 2 of course) - but it's higher selling prices that are truly driving the full spending growth," Piscatella said.

It was a large period for sports games, with NBA 2K26 topping the charts for August wide arsenic good arsenic connected PlayStation and Xbox, and becoming the 5th best-selling crippled of the twelvemonth truthful far. In 2nd was Madden NFL 26, present the tenth best-selling crippled of the twelvemonth to date, and besides a constituent of some the EA Sports MVP Bundle (ranking No.8 for August) and the EA Sports Kickoff Bundle (debuting astatine No.9).

Other caller games this period included Mafia: The Old Country debuting astatine No.3, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater debuting astatine No.4, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar debuting astatine No.19 for August. Gears of War: Reloaded didn't marque the wide best-selling chart, but it debuted astatine No.6 connected PlayStation and No.8 connected PC.

Other notable jumps included Helldivers II, which went from No.25 past period to No.14 this month. Analyst Mat Piscatella has said connected Bluesky that helium is actively moving to corroborate Helldivers II income information connected Xbox - it's not presently represented successful the Xbox chart. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu nary Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles 2 jumped from No.24 to No.10, which whitethorn beryllium owed to its merchandise day falling connected August 1 -- Circana's tracking for August began connected August 3, truthful the game's archetypal motorboat was tracked past period but astir of the income since person fallen successful the August tracking. Kirby and the Forgotten Land besides made a leap from No.36 connected Nintendo Switch charts past period to No.6, apt acknowledgment to the merchandise of the Star-Crossed World upgrade battalion for Switch 2.

Overall, contented spending was up 11% to $4.2 cardinal for August.

In accessories, the Nintendo Switch 2 pro controller was the best-selling accessory successful some portion income and dollar sales, some for August and for the twelvemonth truthful far.

Overall, full games spending was up 11% year-over-year to $4.7 billion, mostly acknowledgment to NBA 2K26, the Nintendo Switch 2, and increases successful mobile spending.

August 2025 U.S. Top 20 Best-Selling Games:

1. NBA 2K26 (NEW)
2. Madden NFL 26 (NEW)
3. Mafia: The Old Country (NEW)
4. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (NEW)
5. EA Sports College Football 26
6. Gears of War: Reloaded
7. Donkey Kong Bananza
8. EA Sports MVP Bundle (2025)
9. EA Sports Kickoff Bundle (2025) (NEW)
10. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu nary Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles 2
11. Minecraft*
12. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
13. Grand Theft Auto V
14. Helldivers II
15. Forza Horizon 5
16. Grounded 2
17. WWE 2K25
18. Hogwarts Legacy
19. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (NEW)
20. Red Dead Redemption II

* Indicates that immoderate oregon each integer income are not included successful Circana's data. Some publishers, including Nintendo, bash not stock definite integer information for this report.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].