The U.S. video game market recorded total consumer spending of $60.7 billion in 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.4 percent, according to data shared by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. The growth was supported by higher spending across subscription services, hardware, and mobile content, helping the market recover modestly compared to 2024.
Spending performance in December played a meaningful role in the annual outcome. Total projected U.S. video game spending in December 2025 reached $7.8 billion, representing a 3 percent increase compared to the same month a year earlier. Gains in hardware, subscriptions, and PC content were cited as the primary drivers behind the monthly growth, even as some categories posted declines.
Hardware spending showed particularly strong momentum. December hardware revenue increased 6 percent year over year to $1.2 billion, despite an 8 percent decline in unit sales compared to December 2024. The discrepancy was largely offset by an 18 percent increase in average selling prices. For the full year, hardware spending finished 9 percent ahead of the prior year, reaching $5.4 billion, making it one of the strongest performing segments of the market.
Nintendo Switch 2 emerged as the clear hardware leader during both December and the full 2025 calendar year. The system led the market in unit and dollar sales, helping to counterbalance year-over-year declines seen across other platforms. PlayStation 5 ranked second in both measures and time periods. After seven months on the market, Nintendo Switch 2 reached a U.S. installed base of 4.4 million units, nearly double the installed base of the original Nintendo Switch on a time-aligned basis.
Piscatella initially described the system as the fastest-selling hardware platform in tracked history before issuing a clarification. He later stated, “Please note – this should read ‘fastest selling video game console hardware platform.’” He added, “The Game Boy Advance is the fastest selling hardware platform overall in the US after 7 months in market,” and apologized for the earlier error.
Software Rankings (Ranked by Dollar Sales)
Top 20 Best-Selling Games: Full Year 2025
- Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
- NBA 2K26 (Take-Two Interactive)
- Borderlands 4 (Take-Two Interactive)
- Monster Hunter: Wilds (Capcom USA)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Microsoft)
- Madden NFL 26 (Electronic Arts)
- EA Sports College Football 26 (Electronic Arts)
- EA Sports FC 26 (Electronic Arts)
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered (Microsoft)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Microsoft)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sony)
- MLB: The Show 25 (Multiple Publishers)
- Minecraft (Multiple Publishers)
- Elden Ring: Nightreign (Bandai Namco)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Plaion)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Microsoft)
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A (Nintendo)*
- WWE 2K25 (Take-Two Interactive)
- Split Fiction (Electronic Arts)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive)
On the software side, Battlefield 6 finished 2025 as the top-selling premium game in the United States by dollar sales, across both physical and participating digital publishers. It was followed by NBA 2K26 and Borderlands 4. In December alone, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 ranked as the best-selling premium title. While accessory spending declined year over year, higher pricing across several categories helped lift overall market totals, rounding out a cautiously positive year for the industry.
