August 2025 Sees Surge in Video Game Spending, Driven by NBA 2K26 and Switch 2

NBA 2K26 topped the premium game sales chart for August 2025, securing a spot among the year's best-selling games at fifth place, and claiming the top spot for the month on PlayStation and Xbox. Other notable releases for the month include Mafia: The Old Country, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, ranking third, fourth, sixth, and nineteenth, respectively. Circana analysts project an 11% year-over-year increase in total US video game spending for August 2025, reaching $4.7 billion, driven by strong sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 and a rise in mobile spending. Year-to-date sales are up 1% compared to 2024, with a 20% increase in hardware spending and a 6% decline in accessories, totaling $37.3 billion. The Nintendo Switch 2 has sold 2.4 million units in its first three months, outpacing the PS4's record by 5% and its predecessor by 77%. Monthly hardware spending rose by 32% year-over-year to $312 million. In mobile gaming, Monopoly Go! leads the chart in consumer spending for August, followed by Royal Match, Last War: Survival, and Candy Crush Saga. The US mobile gaming landscape is seeing newcomers like Kingshot and Royal Kingdom rise, while titles like Gardenscapes and Homescapes have fallen to the top twenty. Evergreen titles such as Clash Royale and Free Fire have made comebacks, with Free Fire overtaking Call of Duty: Mobile in recent months.