U.S. Video Game Console Prices Climb 12%

Video game hardware sales in the United States are stronger than ever, according to Circana. However, this growth is partly driven by higher prices—units sold are now 12% more expensive on average compared to last year.

This insight comes from Circana's August report, which revealed a 32% year-over-year increase in hardware spending, primarily fueled by the Nintendo Switch 2. Sales of the new console helped counterbalance double-digit declines for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the original Switch. Currently, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are tracking 77% higher than the Switch 1 during the same launch period.

As analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted on Bluesky, "With 2.4 million lifetime units sold in its first three months, the Nintendo Switch 2 is now 5% ahead of the record-setting PlayStation 4, which sold 2.2 million units in the three months ending January 2014."

Circana also reports that year-to-date hardware spending has risen 20%, with unit sales up 6.5%. Still, this isn't solely due to higher console demand. The average selling price for video game hardware has climbed 12.3%, reaching $453 per unit.

"Hardware is performing well this year, thanks largely to the Nintendo Switch 2—but it's the increased prices that are really pushing total spending upward," Piscatella stated.

August was a strong month for sports titles. NBA 2K26 led overall sales for the month across all platforms, including PlayStation and Xbox, making it the fifth best-selling game of the year so far. Madden NFL 26 came in second, now ranking tenth for the year. It was also featured in the EA Sports MVP Bundle (No. 8 in August) and the EA Sports Kickoff Bundle (debuting at No. 9).

Other new releases included Mafia: The Old Country at No. 3, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater at No. 4, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar entering at No. 19. While Gears of War: Reloaded didn't make the overall top-sellers list, it debuted at No. 6 on PlayStation and No. 8 on PC.

Notable monthly jumps included Helldivers II, which rose from No. 25 to No. 14. Piscatella mentioned he is working to confirm Helldivers II Xbox sales data, as the title does not currently appear in Xbox charts. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles 2 climbed from No. 24 to No. 10, possibly due to its August 1 release—Circana's August tracking began August 3, so early sales were logged in July. Kirby and the Forgotten Land also surged, moving from No. 36 to No. 6 on Nintendo Switch charts, likely boosted by the Star-Crossed World upgrade pack for Switch 2.

Overall, content spending grew 11% in August, reaching $4.2 billion.

In accessories, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller led August and year-to-date sales in both units and revenue.

Total games spending increased 11% year-over-year to $4.7 billion, largely driven by NBA 2K26, the Nintendo Switch 2, and growth in mobile spending.

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

NBA 2K26 (NEW)Madden NFL 26 (NEW)Mafia: The Old Country (NEW)Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (NEW)EA Sports College Football 26Gears of War: ReloadedDonkey Kong BananzaEA Sports MVP Bundle (2025)EA Sports Kickoff Bundle (2025) (NEW)Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Hinokami Chronicles 2Minecraft*Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Grand Theft Auto VHelldivers IIForza Horizon 5Grounded 2WWE 2K25Hogwarts LegacyStory of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (NEW)Red Dead Redemption II

* Indicates that some or all digital sales are not included in Circana's data. Some publishers, including Nintendo, do not share certain digital data for this report.