November 2025 Marks Worst U.S. Game Sales Since 1995
- Sagar Mankar
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
November 2025 was one of the worst months for video game sales in the U.S., marking historic lows in both hardware and physical software spending.
Traditionally, November is a strong month for the industry thanks to Black Friday deals and holiday shopping. However, according to Circana’s latest report, hardware spending fell 27% year-over-year to $695 million, making it the weakest November for hardware since 2005. Even more shocking, only 1.6 million units were sold across all platforms, the lowest November total since 1995.
Despite the overall decline, the PlayStation 5 managed to top the charts in both units and dollar sales, overtaking the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time since its launch. Nintendo’s newest console came in second, while the NEX Playground secured third place in unit sales. Interestingly, Xbox Series consoles ranked third in dollar sales, but their unit sales dropped sharply—down 70% compared to last year.
Circana senior director Mat Piscatella (via IGN) pointed out that rising prices are a major factor. The average hardware unit price hit $439 in November, an all-time high. Xbox consoles saw the steepest increase, with average prices jumping over 30%. Meanwhile, the Switch 2, though still the fastest-selling console in U.S. history after six months, showed slower adoption compared to the original Switch. Piscatella suggested that demand may have been pulled forward earlier in the year due to strong launch availability, or that consumers are hesitating at higher price points.
One bright spot was the NEX Playground, which had a surprisingly strong month. With an average price just over $200 and viral marketing campaigns, it became one of the hottest holiday products. Circana noted that November unit sales for the device were only 7% below its lifetime total through October, highlighting its rapid rise in popularity.
On the software side, spending rose slightly overall, up 1% to $4.8 billion, thanks to growth in subscriptions and mobile. But physical software sales dropped 14%, the worst November since 1995. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 still debuted at No.1 for the month, continuing the franchise’s streak of 18 consecutive years topping its launch month. Yet, sales were lower than Black Ops 6 last year, with Piscatella predicting Battlefield 6 will "extremely likely" finish 2025 as the year’s best-seller.
November 2025 U.S. Top 20 Best-Selling Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Microsoft)
Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
NBA 2K26 (Take-Two Interactive)
Madden NFL 26 (Electronic Arts)
EA Sports FC 26 (Electronic Arts)
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Nintendo)*
Ghost of Yotei (Sony)
EA Sports College Football 26 (Electronic Arts)
Minecraft (Multiple Publishers)*
Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo)*
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Nintendo)*
The Outer Worlds 2 (Take-Two Interactive)
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sega)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo)*
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony)
Red Dead Redemption II (Rockstar Games)
Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games)
Borderlands 4 (Take-Two Interactive)
Forza Horizon 5 (Microsoft)
Digimon Story: Time Stranger (Bandai Namco)
2025 Year-to-Date U.S. Top 20 Games
Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
NBA 2K26 (Take-Two Interactive)
Monster Hunter: Wilds (Capcom USA)
Borderlands 4 (Take-Two Interactive)
EA Sports College Football 26 (Electronic Arts)
Madden NFL 26 (Electronic Arts)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Microsoft)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Microsoft)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Microsoft)
Ghost of Yotei (Sony)
EA Sports FC 26 (Electronic Arts)
MLB: The Show 25 (Multiple Publishers)
Elden Ring: Nightreign (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Plaion)
WWE 2K25 (Take-Two Interactive)
Minecraft (Multiple Publishers)
Forza Horizon 5 (Microsoft)
Split Fiction (Electronic Arts)
Helldivers II (Sony)
EA Sports MVP Bundle 2025 (Electronic Arts)