US Physical Game Spending Rises 3% to $1.6 Billion on Switch 2 Boost
Updated
Updated · GamesIndustry.biz · Jun 25
US Physical Game Spending Rises 3% to $1.6 Billion on Switch 2 Boost
3 articles · Updated · GamesIndustry.biz · Jun 25
Summary
$1.6 billion in US physical game spending for the 12 months through May 2026 marked a 3% year-on-year increase, the first annual gain since 2009, according to Circana.
Nintendo Switch 2 drove the rebound: physical software sales on Nintendo platforms jumped about 26% from a year earlier after the console's June 2025 launch.
Mat Piscatella called the rise a likely temporary blip, saying all other gaming ecosystems are still posting double-digit declines as digital sales dominate the market.
Physical formats are already shifting toward code-in-the-box releases—30 games have sold more than 1,000 such copies in 2026—and Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch as download-only on November 20.