NBA 2K26 and Switch 2 drive growth in August 2025 video game spending | US Monthly Charts

NBA 2K26 was the best-selling premium game of August 2025, rocketing into the best-selling games of the year list, charting at fifth place. It was also the month’s best-seller on both PlayStation and Xbox.

Other new releases on the chart this month include Mafia: The Old Country, Metal Gear
Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, at third, fourth, sixth, and nineteenth place, respectively.

According to analysts at Circana, the overall projected U.S. total spend on video game hardware, content, and accessories is expected to increase 11% year-over-year in August 2025 to $4.7 billion, partly due to continued strong sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 and an uptick in mobile spending.

Year-to-date sales are broadly stable, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024, with a sharp 20% increase in yearly hardware spend and a 6% decline in accessories, resulting in overall sales of $37.3 billion. Capcom’s Monster Hunter: Wilds still holds onto the top of the chart when it comes to 2025’s year-to-date sales.

For hardware, Nintendo Switch 2 is now outpacing the “previous record-setting pace” of PlayStation 4, having sold 2.4 million units in its inaugural three months, 5% ahead of the PS4’s 2.2 million, and 77% ahead its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch. Overall monthly hardware spend increased by 32% YoY to $312 million.

When it comes to mobile gaming, Monopoly Go! continues to monopolize the mobile chart when it comes to consumer spending in August, alongside Royal Match, Last War: Survival, and Candy Crush Saga.

“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,” said Sam Aune of Sensor Tower. “Other evergreen titles like Clash Royale and Free Fire have made comebacks. Free Fire is especially notable for having overtaken Call of Duty: Mobile in the past few months in the US, something it hasn’t done since 2022.

“Monopoly Go! remains at the top in the US, though its lead isn’t nearly as towering as it was in early 2024. While some remain pessimistic about this mature era in mobile gaming, there are still opportunities for growth.”

Here are the top 20 selling games from the period August 3, 2025, to August 30, data courtesy of Circana:

* Digital sales not included for marked titles

^ Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included