NBA 2K26 Tops as U.S. Game Spending Jumps 11% this August

• NBA 2K26 leads August’s U.S. game charts across platforms.
• Total spending hits $4.7 billion, up 11% year-over-year.
• Switch 2 fuels hardware surge, while accessory sales decline.

NBA 2k26 topped the charts amongst the premium games in August 2025. It has taken the fifth place in the year-to-date’s best seller list, which was a surprise even by videogame standards. In fact, NBA 2k26 has also led sales across both PlayStation and Xbox platforms.

While Capcom’s Monster Hunter: Wilds remains 2025’s top seller, Madden NFL 26 claimed the second spot for the month of August, and Mafia: The Old Country ranked at third. Gears of War: Reloaded, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar entered August’s charts at numbers 6, and 19 respectively.

Switch 2 Powers Hardware Growth

In August 2025, U.S. videogame spending rose 11% annually to $4.7 billion USD. The year-to-date spending reached $37.3B USD, up by 1% from 2024. Hardware spending has also grown 20% so far this year. In August alone, it jumped 32% reaching $312 million USD. The main driver of this rise is Nintendo Switch 2, which has sold 2.4M systems in the U.S. market within the first three months. Its sales are 77% higher than those of the original Switch and 5% higher than the early sales of the PlayStation 4.

In fact, in the accessory segment too, the Switch 2 Pro Controller stood out as the best-selling accessory, both by units and dollar sales, for August and year-to-date. However, it did not fare as well as the hardware segment. Accessory spending slipped 6% per annum to $169M USD, even though specific categories like racing controllers saw a boost.

Mobile and Subscription Markets in Flux

In mobile gaming, Monopoly Go! alongside Royal Match, Last War: Survival, and Candy Crush Saga, continue to dominate U.S. consumer spending. Sam Aune of Sensor Tower said, “This is a new age of the US top ten. Newcomers like Kingshot and Royal Kingdom are scaling and breaking in, while mainstays like Playrix's Gardenscapes and Homescapes have been banished to the top twenty.”

Aune also noted the comebacks of Clash Royale and Free Fire. She consecutively highlighted the fact that for the first time since 2022, Free Fire has exceeded Call of Duty: Mobile in the U.S. This shows that the market is evolving, with growth strategies being reshaped by timely releases, slower legacy consoles, and a 19% rise in non-mobile subscriptions. As the holiday season approaches quietly, effective timing, platform balance, and recurring revenue streams will be essential for success.