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Of those who plan to watch the global soccer tournament,
66%
State that they plan to view this year's matches at home by themselves or with members of their household.
Quick Insight
As the international tournament kicks off across North American cities in mid-June, CPG brands, retailers, and foodservice operators have a clear opportunity to engage millions of fans across 48 countries.
And it’s not just about viewership, it's about shared experiences. New Circana insights show 24% of consumers plan to watch matches with friends and family outside their household.
For brands, that means more occasions, more connection points, and more moments to win with consumers.
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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.
Access the latest insights on gaming trends and opportunities, performance, and what’s ahead.
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Circana’s Video Games Industry Experts
"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
Circana May 2026 U.S. Video Games Market Summary
The U.S. video game industry continued its growth trajectory in May 2026, driven by strong new game launches and the sustained momentum of Nintendo Switch 2. According to Circana, total U.S. video game spending reached $4.2 billion in May 2026, representing a 3% year-over-year increase. Year-to-date (YTD) spending through May totaled $23.0 billion, up 4% compared to 2025.
Overall Market Performance
Total consumer spending across video game content, hardware, and accessories reached $4.182 billion in May. Growth was primarily fueled by hardware sales, while content spending remained relatively stable.
Key May 2026 results:
Total Video Game Spending: $4.182 billion (+3% YoY)
Video Game Content: $3.765 billion (+1% YoY)
Video Game Hardware: $249 million (+38% YoY)
Video Game Accessories: $168 million (+8% YoY)
Nintendo Switch 2 Continues Historic Run
Nintendo Switch 2 remained the dominant hardware platform in May, leading the market in both unit and dollar sales for the month and year-to-date period. The platform concluded its first 12 months on the market with a U.S. installed base of 5.9 million units, making it the second-fastest-selling hardware platform in U.S. tracked history. Only the Game Boy Advance sold more units during its first year, reaching 6.5 million. Circana's tracking begins in January 1995.
Hardware trends included:
Hardware spending increased 38% year-over-year to $249 million.
Switch 2 offset significant declines in competing platforms.
PlayStation 5 hardware spending fell 43%, while unit sales declined 58%.
Xbox Series hardware spending rose 7%, despite a 12% decrease in unit sales.
Hardware pricing also increased substantially:
Average hardware selling price reached $502, up 14% versus May 2025.
Average PlayStation 5 selling price increased 33% to $672.
Average Xbox Series selling price increased 22% to $524.
Notably, PlayStation hardware unit sales fell to their lowest May level since 2000, while Xbox hardware unit sales recorded their lowest May performance on record.
Content Spending Growth Driven by Console Gaming
Video game content spending reached $3.8 billion, increasing 1% year-over-year, while year-to-date content spending totaled $20.4 billion, up 3% from last year.
Growth was driven primarily by console gaming:
Console and portable content spending increased 25% versus a year ago.
Console and portable content is now 13% ahead year-to-date.
PC content spending grew 15%.
Subscription spending increased 11%.
Mobile game spending declined 11% year-over-year.
New Releases Powered the Market
Several major launches dominated the May sales charts, led by 007 First Light, which debuted as the month's best-selling game and immediately became the fourth best-selling game of 2026 year-to-date. The title also achieved the largest launch-month dollar sales ever recorded for a James Bond video game and led PlayStation platform sales during May.
Other notable launches included:
Forza Horizon 6 (#2 for May), which also ranked #5 year-to-date and was the top-selling game on Xbox and PC platforms.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (#3).
Subnautica 2 (#4).
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (#8).
Mobile Gaming Shows Mixed Results
While overall mobile spending declined 11% year-over-year, several titles continued to generate significant consumer spending. According to Sensor Tower, the top mobile games by U.S. spending in May were:
MONOPOLY GO!
Royal Match
Candy Crush Saga
Gossip Harbor
Kingshot
Last War: Survival
Whiteout Survival
Township
Royal Kingdom
Garena Free Fire
A notable shift occurred with Last War: Survival, which fell three positions in the rankings following a 30% month-over-month revenue decline. Sensor Tower attributed the drop to a pause in U.S. advertising spend beginning in mid-April, highlighting the importance of continuous user acquisition for strategy games.
Meanwhile, Clash of Critters emerged as a standout new mobile title, briefly entering the top 10 free casual games during its global launch month.
Accessories Market Benefits From Racing Games
Accessories spending increased 8% year-over-year to $168 million in May. Growth was largely fueled by the racing category, which surged following the release of Forza Horizon 6.
Key accessory highlights:
Racing controller spending jumped 95% compared to May 2025.
The Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel was the month's best-selling racing controller by consumer spending.
Key Takeaway
May 2026 demonstrated the industry's continued resilience, with strong software launches and the exceptional performance of Nintendo Switch 2 offsetting weakness in traditional console hardware. While content growth remained modest, blockbuster releases such as 007 First Light and Forza Horizon 6 boosted engagement and spending, while Switch 2 maintained one of the fastest adoption rates ever recorded in the U.S. gaming market. Hardware remained the largest growth driver, increasing 38% year-over-year, signaling that Nintendo's newest platform continues to reshape the competitive landscape
Source: Circana Games Market Dynamics,
May, 2026
Data Source:
Point of Sale (POS) Data
Insights in Action
Private label has evolved from a lower cost alternative into a growth engine reshaping how consumers define value across more categories. Shoppers are looking for products they can trust, with consistent quality and affordability that fits tighter household budgets, and retailers are increasingly meeting that demand with own-brand portfolios that do not ask consumers to compromise.
21 Jul 2026
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.
