Videogame Sales Surge 5% in July with EA Sports, Nintendo, and Mobile Games Driving Growth

US videogame sales rose 5% YoY in July, driven by new games from EA Sports and Nintendo, as well as ongoing sales from mobile games. The growth helped 2025 sales catch up to 2024's pace.

US videogame sales rose 5% year-over-year (YoY) in July 2025, driven by new releases from EA Sports and Nintendo, as well as robust ongoing sales from mobile games. This growth helped 2025 sales start to catch up to 2024's pace, according to research group Circana [1].

The total sales for July 2025 reached $5.05 billion, up from $4.82 billion in July 2024. This increase was primarily due to a 4% rise in content spending to $4.48 billion, a 21% increase in hardware sales to $384 million, and a 7% rise in mobile game spending to $2.3 billion [1].

Notable contributors to the sales growth include EA Sports College Football 26 and the EA Sports MVP Bundle (2025), which debuted as the top-selling premium games in July. Additionally, Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza and Microsoft’s Grounded 2 entered the top 10 best-sellers list, reflecting the impact of new releases [1].

The Nintendo Switch 2 console played a significant role in the hardware sales growth, surpassing 2 million units sold in the U.S. since its release. The console was the best-selling platform in both units and dollars during July and across 2025 year-to-date. Meanwhile, hardware sales for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles declined significantly, with spending on the PS5 falling 47% and Xbox Series sales dropping 69% compared to last year [2].

Mobile game spending also contributed to the overall growth, with Garena’s Free Fire being a notable driver of performance. The game jumped into the top 10 mobile games by U.S. consumer spending, up seven spots to become the top mobile shooter [1].

Year-to-date, total videogame sales of $32.59 billion are down just 1% from the 2024 total through July. Content sales are off 2% to $28.67 billion, while hardware sales are up 18% to $2.47 billion. Accessory sales fell 6% to $1.45 billion over the same interval [1].

Overall, the U.S. videogame market showed resilience in July 2025, with the Nintendo Switch 2 and mobile games driving much of the growth. As we move into the latter half of 2025, the market appears well-positioned, despite some headwinds for traditional console content.

References:
[1] https://nintendoeverything.com/best-selling-games-in-the-u-s-for-july-2025-donkey-kong-bananza-makes-its-debut/
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4489700-videogame-sales-rise-5-as-ea-sports-nintendo-mobile-lift-numbers