The U.S. video game market posted gains in July 2025, with total spending climbing 5 percent compared to a year ago. According to data from Circana and Sensor Tower, combined spending across content, hardware, and accessories reached 5.051 billion dollars for the month. The results reflect a strong performance from Nintendo’s Switch 2 console and a surge in mobile gaming, though not all categories experienced growth.
Hardware sales were a standout, rising 21 percent year-over-year to 384 million dollars, the highest July total since 2008. Nintendo Switch 2 led the way, surpassing 2 million units sold lifetime in the U.S. and outperforming the original Switch by 75 percent at a comparable point in its life cycle. The system was the top-selling platform in both units and dollars during July and across 2025 year-to-date. PlayStation 5 ranked second in both measures, while Xbox Series consoles saw a sharp decline. Spending on PS5 hardware fell 47 percent compared to last year, while Xbox Series sales dropped 69 percent. Spending on the previous-generation Switch also decreased by 52 percent.
Content spending rose 4 percent in July to 4.48 billion dollars. Growth in mobile games, up 7 percent to 2.3 billion, and non-mobile subscription services, up 21 percent to 500 million, offset a 9 percent decline in console software sales. Garena’s Free Fire was a notable driver of mobile performance. Year-to-date, non-mobile subscription spending is up 19 percent to 3.6 billion dollars.
Accessory sales told a different story. Spending fell 8 percent year-over-year in July to 187 million dollars, continuing a downward trend in the category.
For the year through July, total market spending reached 32.588 billion dollars, down 1 percent compared to the same period in 2024. The decline stems mainly from a 2 percent drop in content sales, though hardware remains a bright spot with an 18 percent increase year-to-date.
Several new titles dominated the July best-sellers list. EA Sports College Football 26 debuted as the top-selling premium game, followed closely by EA Sports MVP Bundle (2025). Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza and Microsoft’s Grounded 2 also entered the top 10, reflecting a mix of fresh releases alongside evergreen favorites such as Minecraft, Red Dead Redemption II, and Grand Theft Auto V. Other notable entries included Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 at number four and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which slipped to fifth place after previously topping the charts.
Year-to-date rankings showed Capcom’s Monster Hunter: Wilds holding first place, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered. Electronic Arts broke into the top three with College Football 26, signaling strong demand for sports titles in 2025.
Market trends highlight the ongoing seasonality of consumer spending. July maintained its position as a growth month for the seventh consecutive year, though overall spending continues to fluctuate with major releases and holiday periods. December 2024 remains the most recent peak, with sales surpassing 7 billion dollars.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 accelerating hardware growth and mobile gaming continuing to expand, the U.S. market appears well-positioned heading into the latter half of 2025, even as traditional console content faces headwinds.
