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Future of™ insights for Video Games is now available
THE SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH FOR
Video Game Industry Performance & Market Research
No longer just an entertainment medium, gaming is a lifestyle. As a result, video game publishers and developers are under increased pressure to deliver the content their gamers demand, when they demand it.
At the same time, manufacturers must know how gamers interact with their content and hardware so they can power the best gaming experiences.
Our data and industry expertise ensure you can respond to market changes and your customers’ needs. You get complete, accurate information about your products’ market share and mindshare, plus industry insights, to help you track trends, identify licensing partnerships, find business opportunities, and grow your business.
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"Video games are a cultural powerhouse. The largest entertainment medium in consumer spending, the video game market of today is as diverse as it is large. From pick up and play mobile games to bleeding edge PC titles and beyond, staying ahead in this quickly evolving and constantly surprising industry requires data driven, actionable insights."
Drive Video Game Strategy with Precision Data
Circana’s insights go beyond the surface, giving you the tools to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Here’s how we help:
INDUSTRY RANKING
Data Spotlight
January 2026 Spending (USD, Millions)
Total: $4,698 (+3% vs YA)
Content: $4,266 (+3%)
Hardware: $248 (+16%)
Accessories: $185 (-5%)
Growth in Subscription and Hardware Drive 3% Increase in January 2026 U.S. Video Game Spending
PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in both unit and dollar sales, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 repeated as the best-selling game of the month.
Hardware Key Takeaways
Hardware spending increased 16% when compared to a year ago, reaching $248M. Nintendo Switch 2 spending was able to offset year-on-year declines seen across PlayStation 5 (-17%), Xbox Series (-27%) and Switch (-79%).
Despite sales falling compared to a year ago, PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in both unit and dollar sales during January 2026. Nintendo Switch 2 ranked 2nd across both measures.
Content Key Takeaways
January video game content spending grew 3% when compared to a year ago, to $4.3B. A 23% increase in subscription spending compared to January 2025 combined with slight gains across Console (+2%) and PC (+1%) content to offset a small drop in mobile (-1%) (mobile source: Sensor Tower).
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 repeated as the best-selling game of the month.
Code Vein II was the only new release to appear on the January best-selling titles chart, ranking 11th overall. It placed first on the PC aggregated storefronts chart.
Final Fantasy VII: Remake jumped to 9th in January from 225th in December due to the release of the Switch 2 and Xbox Series versions of the game during the month.
In Mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in January and the change in ranking from December as: MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match (+1), Last War: Survival (-1), Candy Crush Saga, Gossip Harbor (+1), Kingshot (-1), Whiteout Survival (+1), Royal Kingdom (+1), Township (+2) and Free Fire (+2).
“The Clash Royale show seems to be officially over, as the game falls out of the top 10 ranking with -49% revenue over December 2025,” said Sam Aune of Sensor Tower. “The game to keep your eye on outside of the top 10 is Loom Games' Pixel Flow!, which grew IAP revenue 79% month over month.”
Accessories Key Takeaways
Accessories spending dipped 5% compared to a year ago, to $185M This is the lowest January accessories spend total since January 2020 ($143M).
Source: Circana Games Market Dynamics,
January, 2026
Data Source:
Point of Sale (POS) Data
10 Apr 2026
Insights in Action
Demand is being driven by everyday shoppers, not just historical consumers of plant-based products. Only around 11% of Europeans identify as vegan or vegetarian but identifying as flexitarian has grown to 31% in 2024, up from 21% in 2023, making it the key force behind the category’s growth.
Drive Brand Growth with Circana’s Solutions
Circana offers tailored solutions for every corner of the video game industry, helping brands stay ahead in a competitive market.
Pricing Strategy Tools
Our price and promotion analytics tools allow developers and retailers to leverage verified consumer purchase data when testing promotions.
Demand Forecasting
Our platform allows developers, retailers, & other companies to forecast demand and identify key trends moving the video game industry.
Market Research & Category Measurement
Circana provides in-depth analysis of the Video Game market by combining industry expertise, consumer data, and market insights.
With Circana, you get the clarity you need to make confident, growth-driven decisions.
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Questions Circana’s Video Game Solutions Can Help Developers Answer:
What are the best-performing video games in 2026?
Circana tracks the top 10 best-selling video games and provides key insights into consumer spending across categories. Circana helps developers and retailers understand the “why” behind consumer decisions and identify what strategies led to the success of the most popular games.
How is the video game industry evolving in 2026?
The video game industry has the potential to reach a new high in consumer spending in 2026, thanks in part to the release of new hardware, player demand, and the prevalence of subscription pricing models. Circana tracks consumer behavior across generations as well as key industry shifts like the increased production costs for console hardware caused by the driven demand for RAM, GPUs, CPUs, and storage from AI data centers. These factors will all play a large role in consumer spending and preferences throughout 2026.
How are consumers shifting their spending behavior within the video game industry?
Amidst serious macroeconomic factors, consumers report a desire to play more free-to-play games and may be more likely to wait for sales and promotional pricing for new releases instead of buying them at full price during their initial launch.
What opportunities are there within the video game industry?
Demand for PC/mobile games is rising, especially among younger players, and amidst concerns surrounding increased pricing for consoles due to tariffs and limited manufacturing resources. Likewise, the demand for peripherals and accessories remains strong. Moreover, as many consumers are interested in free-to-play games, there are increased opportunities for in-game monetization strategies.
