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US Video Game Spending Hits $5.3 Billion in March 2026, Nintendo Switch 2 Leads the Charge

Nintendo Switch with black Joy-Con controllers, one with red trim. Text reads "Nintendo Switch 2." Set against a gray background.

The US video game market posted a strong performance in March 2026, with total consumer spending reaching $5.3 billion for the month. That marks a 12% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data released by Circana.


Year-to-date spending through the first quarter also climbed 5% year-on-year, totaling $14.6 billion.


The biggest story behind those numbers is hardware. Video game hardware spending surged 69% to $500 million in March, and the reason is pretty clear: the Nintendo Switch 2.


Switch 2 Is Breaking Records

The Nintendo Switch 2 claimed the top spot in both unit and dollar hardware sales for March, as well as for the 2026 year-to-date period. PlayStation 5 came in second across both measures, with a modest 3% year-on-year increase in March spending.


According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, in their first 10 months on the market, Switch 2 sales are tracking 12% higher than those of the original Nintendo Switch over the same period.


The Switch 2 now holds the record for the second fastest-selling hardware platform in the US after the PS2.


Content Spending Rises Across the Board

Video game content spending rose 8% year-on-year to $4.5 billion in March. Console content in particular had a strong showing, growing 22% on the back of a 40% rise in digital premium downloads. PC, cloud, and non-console VR content jumped 28%, while non-mobile subscription spending climbed 20%.


Several big releases helped drive that content growth. Crimson Desert, MLB The Show 26, and Pokémon Pokopia led all titles in total projected full game spending for the month.


MLB The Show 26 in particular had a massive launch. According to Circana, its combined physical and digital full game dollar sales in launch month achieved the second-highest total in franchise history, trailing only MLB The Show 21, which debuted slightly higher back in April 2021.


March 2026 Top 20 Best-Selling Games (Ranked by Dollar Sales)

Reporting Period: March 1, 2026 – April 4, 2026

  1. MLB: The Show 26 – Multiple Publishers (NEW)

  2. Resident Evil: Requiem – Capcom USA (Last Month: 1)

  3. WWE 2K26 – Take-Two Interactive (NEW)

  4. Marathon (2026) – Sony (NEW)

  5. Pokémon: Pokopia – Nintendo (NEW)

  6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Microsoft (Last Month: 3)

  7. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflections – Capcom USA (NEW)

  8. NBA 2K26 – Take-Two Interactive (Last Month: 2)

  9. Minecraft – Microsoft (Last Month: 4)

  10. EA Sports FC 26 – Electronic Arts (Last Month: 6)

  11. Grand Theft Auto V – Take-Two Interactive (Last Month: 10)

  12. Battlefield 6 – Electronic Arts (Last Month: 7)

  13. Red Dead Redemption II – Take-Two Interactive (Last Month: 12)

  14. Ghost of Yōtei – Sony (Last Month: 15)

  15. Crimson Desert – Pearl Abyss (NEW)

  16. Helldivers II – Sony (Last Month: 5)

  17. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Sony (Last Month: 165)

  18. Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo (Last Month: 19)

  19. Mario Kart World – Nintendo (Last Month: 75)

  20. Madden NFL 26 – Electronic Arts (Last Month: 8)


Resident Evil: Requiem Joins the All-Time List

While MLB The Show 26 took the top monthly spot, it is worth pausing on what Resident Evil: Requiem has achieved. After just two months in the market, it has already broken into the top five best-selling Resident Evil titles in all-time US dollar sales. The only games ahead of it are Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 4 (the 2023 remake), Resident Evil: Village, and the original Resident Evil 4.


Notable Movers

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach jumped from rank 165 all the way to rank 17, thanks to its PC release during the month. The PC version alone accounted for 85% of the title’s full game dollar sales in March.


Mario Kart World also made a notable comeback, climbing from rank 75 to rank 19.


Nintendo’s Pokémon lineup performed well on multiple fronts this month. Pokémon Pokopia debuted at number five on the overall chart and led the Nintendo platform chart for March. Pokémon Legends: Z-A came in second on the Nintendo platform chart and ranked 18th on Circana’s overall Top 20.


Year-to-Date 2026 Top 20 (Ranked by Dollar Sales)

Reporting Period: January 4, 2026 – April 4, 2026

  1. Resident Evil: Requiem – Capcom USA

  2. MLB: The Show 26 – Multiple Publishers (NEW)

  3. WWE 2K26 – Take-Two Interactive (NEW)

  4. NBA 2K26 – Take-Two Interactive

  5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Microsoft

  6. Marathon (2026) – Sony (NEW)

  7. Minecraft – Microsoft

  8. EA Sports FC 26 – Electronic Arts

  9. Battlefield 6 – Electronic Arts

  10. Madden NFL 26 – Electronic Arts

  11. Grand Theft Auto V – Take-Two Interactive

  12. Pokémon: Pokopia – Nintendo (NEW)

  13. Red Dead Redemption II – Take-Two Interactive

  14. Helldivers II – Sony

  15. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflections – Capcom USA (NEW)

  16. Ghost of Yōtei – Sony

  17. Forza Horizon 5 – Microsoft

  18. Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo

  19. Elden Ring – Bandai Namco Entertainment

  20. Split Fiction – Electronic Arts

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