The U.S. Video game market experienced a typically quiet January, with few recent releases and reduced activity following the busy holiday season. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 once again topped the charts as the best-selling game for the month, while the PlayStation 5 maintained its lead in console sales.
The PS5 led hardware sales in both units and revenue, while the Nintendo Switch 2 came in second in both categories, according to analysis shared by Mat Piscatella, Executive Director and Video Game Analyst at Circana.
Total hardware spending increased by 16% compared to last year, with a rise in Switch 2 spending – a natural increase given its unavailability last year – offsetting declines in spending on the PS5 (down 17%), Xbox Series (down 27%), and the original Switch (a significant drop of 79%). Accessory spending decreased by 5% to $185 million.
In the digital content space, spending rose 3% to $4.3 billion, driven by a 23% increase in subscriptions. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 remained the best-selling game of the month, followed by NBA 2K26 in second place. Madden NFL 26 climbed from fourth place in December to third in January, while Battlefield 6 fell from third to fifth.
January’s rankings also saw Code Vein II debut at number eleven as a new release. Final Fantasy 7: Remake jumped from 225th to ninth place following its release on Xbox Series and Switch 2, and Fallout 4 rose from 68th to 20th, potentially boosted by the second season of the Fallout television series and a price reduction on Steam.
total gaming spending reached $4.7 billion, a 3% increase year-over-year, marking a modest start to 2026. This data underscores the continued strength of established franchises and the impact of platform availability on game sales.
Top 20 Best-Selling Games in the U.S. For January 2026:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- NBA 2K26
- Madden NFL 26
- Minecraft*
- Battlefield 6
- EA Sports FC 26
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Red Dead Redemption II
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- Forza Horizon 5
- Code Vein II (NEW)
- Ghost of Yotei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- EA Sports College Football 26
- Helldivers II
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A*
- Split Fiction
- Elden Ring
- Flight Simulator 2024
- Fallout 4
