US Gamers Aren’t Buying Video Games Anymore, New Research Reveals

A brand new examine has revealed that almost all US avid gamers are not shopping for video video games. The shocking analysis revealed that almost all of sport gross sales are supported by a small group of hardcore hobbyists. The Nintendo Switch 2’s record-breaking gross sales may additionally be saving the business.

63% of US Gamers Buy Two Games or Fewer Per Year

An fascinating examine from advertising analysis agency Circana lately revealed that gaming habits within the US are drastically shifting in 2025. The outcomes had been revealed by prolific video games business knowledgeable Mat Piscatella in an October 2 post on BlueSky.

The senior director for Circana defined that solely 30 p.c of US-based avid gamers buy one or two video games per 12 months. However, the much more shocking statistic is that 33 p.c of avid gamers within the US don’t purchase any new video games at throughout a typical 12-month interval.

It’s unclear if that is being impacted by subscription providers equivalent to Game Pass or the continued recognition of free-to-play video games equivalent to Roblox and Fortnite. Microtransactions in live-service video games, for instance, aren’t sometimes counted as sport gross sales. Mat Piscatella went on to clarify that almost all sport gross sales within the business are being fueled by “hyper enthusiasts.”

“Hyper enthusiast, price-insensitive players are really keeping things going, especially in the non-f2p gaming space. According to Circana’s Q3 2025 Future of Games, only 4% of US video game players buy a new game more often than once per month, with a third of players not buying any games at all.”

As a facet word, I’m ashamed to confess that my spouse and I completely match into this bracket.

Nintendo Switch 2 Boosts Console Sales to Record Highs

While the above statistics could seem a bit miserable, Circana additionally revealed that gaming {hardware} gross sales are booming. In 2025, console gross sales have elevated by 20 p.c, largely as a result of launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.

“Hardware – Year-to-date video game hardware spending has grown 20% versus a year ago, reaching $2.9 billion.”

Speaking of the Switch 2, Nintendo is already outpacing the gross sales information of the primary Nintendo Switch. According to Mat Piscatella, the Switch 2 is actually outperforming the earlier era by as a lot as 77%.

“Hardware – Nintendo Switch 2 unit sales are trending 77% ahead of the time-aligned sales of the original Nintendo Switch.”

This is definitely spectacular when you think about that the Nintendo Switch 2 retails for $499. This is a staggering 66.9 p.c value improve over the unique Switch.

So, though US shoppers are shopping for fewer video games per 12 months, the business continues to thrive on console gross sales. However, the primary takeaway from this examine appears to be that the video games business continues to be largely being funded by hardcore gaming lovers.