[Stanley]

US Gamers Are Spending Way Less Than They Used To On Physical Games

New data is suggesting that Americans just aren't spending as much money on physical video games as they used to, with Circana stating that the rate fell 11% from 2024 to 2025. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella shared the figure in a Bluesky post (via Kotaku) on March 2. Piscatella confirmed that when looking at the data between 2024 and 2025, last year saw an 11% decline in spending on physical video games in the US. Although that sounds like a terrible number, it's less drastic than 2024's figure, which was -28%. The decline, according to Piscatella, slowed because we're "nearing the bottom" (presumably of this console generation), and the Nintendo Switch 2's launch last year helped "stabilize" the numbers a bit.Piscatella also noted that 2025 saw Americans spend $1.5 billion on physical video games, which is an all-time low since this data began being tracked in 1995. While the peak was in 2008 at $11.6 billion, Piscatella clarified that this figure has declined every year since. The most pronounced drop, however, was still 2024's -28%.Continue Reading at GameSpot

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/people...01-10abi2f

[C00Lssh]

Its very true. Storage space has become very cheap, which is i think was a huge push for it.

[Tyr]

This has been happening for 5 years now Stanley. Insightful anyway.

Just wait until ES6 is released in 2034.

[Hackers]

Could also have to do with the price of GPU and consoles rising, as well as mobile games / apps. I think there are also a lot of younger people who watch gaming streams, shorts, reels, and perhaps are more likely to produce their own content on social media than they are to spend their time gaming. Tiktok and insta and all of these platforms are gamified to all hell, and they hook into the same reward systems as games were programmed to do. It's all just serotonin and dopamine.

[W1NK1LL3RX]

Physical games are basically becoming a collector or Nintendo thing now, because most people just buy digital since it’s easier, faster, and takes up no space, so while an 11% drop is bad, the bigger story is that physical game sales have been shrinking for years and are now probably close to their floor.

[Deany]

Maybe no one has money. Ever thought of that Stanny boy?

[xiEN]

i dont think this is 100% because they WANT to buy digital copies, but it seems to be a lot more convenient. I love having hard copies of my games, but i went to my local game shop to grab resident evil Requiem for them to tell me they sold out. Next day, same thing. I asked how they where able to sell out two days in a row (This was less than an hr after the shop opened) and they said they didnt get many copies. 10... they got 10 copies...

[shakur123]

Not surprising. Physical games have been in structural decline for years as digital downloads and subscriptions take over.

An 11% drop actually suggests the fall is slowing, not accelerating. At this point physical sales mostly survive through collectors, Nintendo titles, and retail bundles, not the mainstream market anymore. 🎮

[Charlie Sheen]

I very rarely buy a game but when I do I have been purchasing digital to save myself a trip to the store. Thinking about it now though I think I should buy physical as I could always resell that game when I'm finished with it.