The U.S. gaming market in March 2025 continued the downward trend observed throughout the first quarter of the year. According to Circana, total user spending on games fell by 6% year-over-year, reaching $4.689 billion. This decline aligns with the broader pattern seen during the initial months of 2025, which collectively show a 9% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

State of USA Gaming Market in March 2025

Decline in Spending

One of the most significant contributors to this downturn was the sharp decline in console sales. Hardware sales fell by 25% year-over-year to $286 million, marking the lowest recorded figure for a March since 2019. PlayStation 5, despite experiencing a 26% drop in sales compared to the previous year, maintained its leadership in both revenue and units sold. Xbox Series S|X followed, with a more modest 9% decrease in revenue. Nintendo Switch reported the most substantial decline among major platforms, falling by 37% year-over-year.

A shift towards digital-only models also became evident, with 75% of Xbox Series sales and approximately half of PlayStation 5 sales coming from digital-only versions. Accessory sales mirrored the overall market trend, dropping 11% year-over-year to $238 million, with gaming headsets experiencing the steepest decline at 19%. Nevertheless, the DualSense controller remained the most popular accessory during the month.

State of USA Gaming Market in March 2025

Game Sales and Content Trends

Game sales in March 2025 fell 4% year-over-year to $4.164 billion. Despite the overall decline, some segments showed positive growth. Subscription services saw an 11% increase compared to the same month in 2024, and digital buy-to-play (B2P) game sales on consoles grew by 12%. However, mobile gaming revenues fell by 6%, although leading titles in the mobile segment demonstrated resilience.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows, MLB: The Show 25, and Monster Hunter: Wilds topped the sales charts in March. Assassin's Creed: Shadows, in particular, achieved the third-best launch month in series history within the U.S. market, trailing only Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. MLB: The Show 25 also showed strong performance, recording a 23% higher launch revenue compared to its predecessor.

Seven new releases made it into the top 20 best-selling titles for March. Besides Assassin's Creed: Shadows and MLB: The Show 25, these included WWE 2K25, Split Fiction, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars. The ranking of the best-selling titles for the first quarter of 2025 also saw updates, with Monster Hunter: Wilds retaining the top position, Assassin's Creed: Shadows moving up to second, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ranking third. New entries such as MLB: The Show 25, WWE 2K25, and Split Fiction also made notable appearances.

State of USA Gaming Market in March 2025

Platform-Specific Performance

Each major platform displayed unique trends during March. On PlayStation, five new releases entered the top 10 best-sellers list, with MLB: The Show 25, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, and WWE 2K25 performing strongly. Additionally, Dragon Age: The Veilguard achieved a top 10 position in the monthly active user (MAU) rankings following its addition to PlayStation Plus in March.

Xbox platforms exhibited similar patterns, with Avowed remaining among the top 10 in MAU rankings. New titles continued to find success across the platform, suggesting consistent user engagement despite broader market challenges.

Nintendo experienced an active month as well, with three new releases entering the top 10 sales chart. Xenoblade Chronicles X, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars contributed to a dynamic release slate for the company.

Steam presented a different picture compared to console platforms. R.E.P.O. led the monthly active user chart, followed by strong performances from titles like Schedule I, FragPunk, and GTA V: Enhanced. Marvel Rivals attracted notable interest from users, and Helldivers II and Balatro also registered strong user engagement during the month.

State of USA Gaming Market in March 2025

Mobile Market Trends

While mobile gaming overall saw a decline in March, leading titles such as MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, and Candy Crush Saga continued to perform well. Pokemon GO reported a 42% year-over-year increase in revenue, while Candy Crush Saga experienced 12% growth. Last War: Survival recorded a modest 1.6% growth, although it did not break into the top three for the month. These results suggest that while the mobile sector faced headwinds, popular titles retained significant user loyalty and spending.

Conclusion

The U.S. gaming market in March 2025 reflected ongoing challenges in hardware and mobile gaming, partially offset by the continued growth of digital content and subscription services. Despite declining overall sales, the successful launches of titles such as Assassin's Creed: Shadows and MLB: The Show 25 provided positive highlights for the industry. As the year progresses, the sector will likely continue to adapt to evolving consumer behaviors, particularly the increased emphasis on digital distribution and subscription models.

Source: Circana