January sales in the United States increased by 3% year-over-year, according to industry-tracking firm Circana. This could be the beginning of a tumultuous year, which has the potential to grow overall by roughly the same amount, said the firm in a separate report — with Grand Theft Auto VI having the potential to make the biggest waves.
“Spending on non-mobile subscription services was once again the US video game market’s primary driver of growth, gaining 23% when compared to a year ago, to $596M,” said Mat Piscatella, Circana’s senior director of video games. “Hardware, console content and PC content spending also increased compared to January 2025, while spending fell across both accessories and mobile content.”
| January 2026 Dollar Sales, Millions | Jan 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
| Total Video.42513 63.Game Sales (Projected to Total Market) | $4,559 | $4,698 | 3% |
| Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms) | $4,152 | $4,266 | 3% |
| Video Game Hardware | $213 | $248 | 16% |
| Video Game Accessories | $194 | $185 | -5% |
While only one game from January has made it to the best-seller list, several others went up several rankings, likely thanks to new platform releases and sales. Hardware, meanwhile, saw a large increase, though this is likely more due to the sharp overall decline in video game sales last year: Hardware spending in particular had dropped 45% at the time.
Piscatella added, “Despite sales falling compared to a year ago, PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in both unit and dollar sales during January 2026. Nintendo Switch 2 ranked 2nd across both measures… Accessories spending dipped 5% compared to a year ago, to $185M This is the lowest January accessories spend total since January 2020 ($143M).”
Circana January 2026 | Top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.
| Rank | Last Month Rank | Title | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 2 | 2 | NBA 2K26 | Take-Two Interactive |
| 3 | 4 | Madden NFL 26 | Electronic Arts |
| 4 | 8 | Minecraft^ | Multiple Video Game Publishers |
| 5 | 3 | Battlefield 6 | Electronic Arts |
| 6 | 5 | EA Sports FC 26 | Electronic Arts |
| 7 | 12 | Grand Theft Auto V | Take-Two Interactive |
| 8 | 15 | Red Dead Redemption II | Take-Two Interactive |
| 9 | 225 | Final Fantasy VII: Remake | Square Enix Inc (Corp) |
| 10 | 14 | Forza Horizon 5 | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 11 | NEW | Code Vein II | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 12 | 10 | Ghost of Yotei | Sony (Corp) |
| 13 | 17 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Plaion |
| 14 | 11 | EA Sports College Football 26 | Electronic Arts |
| 15 | 28 | Helldivers II | Sony (Corp) |
| 16 | 6 | Pokémon Legends: Z-A* | Nintendo |
| 17 | 24 | Split Fiction | Electronic Arts |
| 18 | 25 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 19 | 16 | Flight Simulator 2024 | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 20 | 68 | Fallout 4 | Microsoft (Corp) |
^Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included.
As noted above, there weren’t many new games on the bestseller list in January, with only ARPG Code Vein II representing that group. However, several older games made reappearances on the list thanks to several outside factors. For example, Fallout 4’s appearance on the list is likely thanks to the Fallout show’s second seasons premiering during December 2025.
Other returning names include Split Fiction and Elden Ring, likely due to sales, while Helldivers II probably got on the list thanks to the announcement of a new Warbond. But the biggest move up the ranking is Final Fantasy VII: Remake, which flew up from 225th to 9th place thanks to its launch on Nintendo Switch 2.
Circana 2026 | What could the year hold?
Circana’s January report is brief, considering it doesn’t cover a larger portion of the year. However, Circana also recently released its Games Market Dynamics report. In the report, it gives a forecast of 2026, both in terms of sales and potential challenges.
One of the markets that will see both, according to the report, is gaming hardware. The Nintendo Switch 2 could potentially offset declines for other consoles, with the Steam Machine being a wild card. However, all hardware will see pressure from the rise in component costs driven by the demand from AI — we’ve already seen this, only one month in to January.
As for games, Circana predicts that subscriptions will continue growing, as will playtime on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite — both because consumers will likely to be more willing to invest in access to expansive libraries and games they know they love, respectively. Grand Theft Auto VI, however, is the exception, as Circana reports it holds the highest purchase intent the firm has ever recorded.
Piscatella said in the report, “The 2026 U.S. video game market brings great opportunity — and risk. While overall hardware faces headwinds, a stellar slate of software and strong subscription engagement suggests a particularly exciting year. Hold on — 2026 could prove to be one heck of a ride.”