Circana: The U.S. Gaming Market in February 2026

The United States gaming market experienced modest growth in February 2026, with total consumer spending reaching $4.557 billion, a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2025. While game content spending remained flat at $4.016 billion, this segment was bolstered by a 27% year-over-year surge in subscription revenue, which helped offset other market fluctuations.

Hardware sales served as a primary driver of growth, rising 22% to $326 million. This performance was fueled entirely by the Nintendo Switch 2, which continues to demonstrate strong momentum nine months into its lifecycle. Sales for the Switch 2 are currently running 45% ahead of the original Nintendo Switch’s performance during its comparable launch window. Conversely, legacy hardware struggled, with PlayStation 5 sales declining 10%, Xbox Series consoles dropping 32%, and the original Nintendo Switch falling 69% year-over-year. Despite these declines, the PlayStation 5 remained the top-selling system by both units and revenue, followed by the Switch 2.

Software performance was highlighted by the successful launch of Resident Evil: Requiem, which claimed the top spot on the sales charts despite being available for only three days during the month. Its launch performance significantly outperformed Resident Evil: Village, showing a 60% increase in dollar terms and a 40% increase in unit sales. Other notable software activity included the strong debut of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined and a significant surge for Diablo II: Resurrected, which climbed to the 13th position following the release of the Infernal Edition on Steam. In the mobile sector, Monopoly GO! maintained its lead, while Pokémon GO saw a 61% month-over-month revenue increase, returning to the top ten. Accessories experienced a slight contraction, falling 2% to $215 million, with the PlayStation Portal emerging as the top-selling accessory by revenue.