U.S. Gaming Market Sees $5 Billion in July 2025 Spending, Nintendo Switch 2 Leads Hardware Sales

EA Sports College Football 26

The U.S. gaming market saw another strong month in July 2025, with total spending reaching $5.05 billion across video games, consoles, and accessories. That’s a 5% increase compared to the same month last year.

According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, game sales alone accounted for $4.48 billion in July, up 4% from 2024. The biggest winner was EA Sports College Football 26, which not only topped the monthly sales chart but also secured the third spot in year-to-date rankings.

July also saw several new entries in the top 20 best-selling paid games list. Right behind College Football 26 was the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which included both College Football 26 and Madden 26. Nintendo made waves with Donkey Kong Bananza, while Activision brought back nostalgia with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4. Obsidian’s Grounded 2 also found a solid spot at number eight.

Hardware sales showed even more momentum, jumping 21% year-over-year to $384 million. Leading the charge was the Nintendo Switch 2, which quickly became the month’s top-selling console. Piscatella noted that in just June and July, Nintendo moved 2 million Switch 2 units in the U.S. — a pace that’s 75% faster than the original Switch launch back in 2017. This makes it one of Nintendo’s strongest hardware debuts in the region to date.

Accessories, however, didn’t share the same growth story. Spending dropped 8% to $187 million, with the Switch 2 Pro Controller standing out as the most popular item.

Looking at the year-to-date rankings (January through early August 2025), Monster Hunter: Wilds continues to dominate at number one, followed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Meanwhile, EA Sports College Football 26 has already climbed into the top three despite only being out for just 20 days.

Top 20 Best-Selling Paid Games in the U.S. — July 2025

1. EA Sports College Football 26 (new)

2. EA Sports MVP Bundle (new)

3. Donkey Kong Bananza (new)

4. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 (new)

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (↓1)

6. Minecraft (↑2)

7. Forza Horizon 5 (↓1)

8. Grounded 2 (new)

9. Red Dead Redemption II (↑6)

10. Grand Theft Auto V (↓1)

11. MLB: The Show 25 (↓4)

12. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (↓10)

13. WWE 2K25 (↑6)

14. Elden Ring (↓1)

15. NBA 2K25 (↓1)

16. Elden Ring: Nightreign (↓15)

17. Split Fiction (↓6)

18. EA Sports FC 25 (↓6)

19. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (↑3)

20. F1 21 (-)

2025 Year-to-Date Top 20 Games (Jan 5 – Aug 2, 2025)

1. Monster Hunter: Wilds — Capcom USA

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — Microsoft

3. EA Sports College Football 26 (NEW) — Electronic Arts

4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — Microsoft

5. MLB: The Show 25 — Multiple Publishers

6. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — Plaion

7. WWE 2K25 — Take-Two Interactive

8. Elden Ring: Nightreign — Bandai Namco Entertainment

9. Split Fiction — Electronic Arts

10. NBA 2K25 — Take-Two Interactive

11. Forza Horizon 5 — Microsoft

12. EA Sports MVP Bundle (NEW) — Electronic Arts

13. Minecraft — Multiple Publishers

14. Civilization VII — Take-Two Interactive

15. Grand Theft Auto V — Take-Two Interactive

16. PGA Tour 2K25 — Take-Two Interactive

17. Doom: The Dark Ages — Microsoft

18. EA Sports FC 25 — Electronic Arts

19. Red Dead Redemption II — Take-Two Interactive

20. Donkey Kong Bananza (NEW) — Nintendo

These figures confirm that sports titles, long-running franchises, and nostalgic re-releases are shaping much of the U.S. gaming landscape in 2025. With Nintendo’s Switch 2 gaining momentum and several major holiday releases still on the horizon, the industry looks set for a strong finish to the year.