Circana: The U.S. Gaming Market in May'26

June 30, 2026 - 04:24

The U.S. video game market saw a 3% year-over-year increase in May 2026, with total consumer spending reaching $4.2 billion. The growth was largely driven by the release of 007 First Light and continued strong sales of the Nintendo Switch 2.

For the first five months of the year, total spending rose 4% compared to the same period in 2025, hitting $23 billion. Content spending, which includes full-game sales, in-game purchases, and subscriptions, grew 1% in May to $3.8 billion. Year-to-date, content spending is up 3% to $20.4 billion.

The console segment was the main driver of content growth in May, with spending up 25% year-over-year. PC content spending rose 15%, and subscription revenue increased 11%.

Hardware spending saw a significant jump, climbing 38% year-over-year to $249 million. The Nintendo Switch 2 helped offset a 43% decline in PlayStation 5 dollar sales and a 58% drop in units, which followed recent price increases. Xbox Series S|X spending rose 7% year-over-year, though unit sales fell 12%.

The Nintendo Switch 2 was once again the top-selling console in both units and revenue for May and for the year-to-date. The PlayStation 5 ranked second on both measures. In its first year on the market, the Switch 2 has sold 5.9 million units in the U.S., making it the second fastest-selling gaming device in the country since 1995. Only the Game Boy Advance sold more in its first 12 months, with 6.5 million units.

On the other hand, May 2026 marked the weakest May for PlayStation unit sales since May 2000. Xbox unit sales were the lowest for any May on record.

The average price of a new gaming hardware unit reached $502 in May, up 14% from $440 a year ago. The average PlayStation 5 price rose 33% year-over-year to $672, while the average Xbox Series price climbed 22% to $524.

Accessories spending grew 8% year-over-year to $168 million. Sales of racing wheels and accessories surged 95% compared to last May, driven by the launch of Forza Horizon 6. The best-selling wheel for the month was the Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel.

Game Sales

007 First Light was the best-selling game of May in the U.S. It topped the May chart on PlayStation and ranked fourth in year-to-date sales across all platforms. The title posted the best launch month of any James Bond game in history.

Forza Horizon 6 was the second best-selling game of the month and led May full-game sales on both Xbox and PC. It currently ranks fifth in the five-month sales chart.

Through the first five months of 2026, Resident Evil: Requiem holds the top spot in overall sales.

On mobile, the top 10 by revenue remained largely the same, featuring familiar titles like MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, Candy Crush Saga, Gossip Harbor, Kingshot, Last War: Survival, Whiteout Survival, Township, Royal Kingdom, and Garena Free Fire. Last War: Survival dropped three spots to sixth, with revenue down 30% month-over-month after the publisher paused its U.S. ad spend in mid-April. The reason for that decision has not been disclosed. Among new mobile games, Clash of Critters by Farlight Games stood out.

Looking ahead, a decline is expected in June. That month will be the first time Circana's data includes a comparable Switch 2 launch month, meaning the comparison will now run against last year's high base.