Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other sale events across the globe, November is usually a big month for consumer tech, gaming, and lifestyle product sales. It’s especially big for gaming, as people gear up to buy consoles, video games, and accessories as gifts for the holiday season. Unfortunately, while October was a big month for sports titles, November 2025 seems to be a bad month for the gaming industry in the U.S.
According to Circana’s monthly report (h/t IGN), November 2025 was the worst in terms of hardware sales. Additionally, in terms of sales of physical copies of games, it was the worst November we’ve seen since November 1995.
What’s Going On Here?
This news certainly comes as a surprise, especially when companies like Xbox highlight that its “content and services sales remain strong.” But when you think about it, there are plenty of explanations behind why this month was so bad for sales. First off, the report indicates that hardware sales specifically are down 27% year-over-year, and November 2025 is the lowest hardware spending total in November since 2005.
More specifically, Xbox hardware sales are down 70%, PS5 sales are down 40%, and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 sales are down 10% over last year. Remember, this year, all console manufacturers raised the prices for their consoles. The PS5 Pro costs $750, but the Xbox Series X isn’t any better with its new price of $650.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is still the fastest-selling hardware in U.S history at the six-month mark, but even that momentum took a hit this November. As hardware prices continue to climb, casual families and gift givers appear to be hesitating. Traditionally, when you gift a console, you also want to gift a game so the other person isn’t just sitting around. Nintendo used to be the affordable option, but with more of their games being $80, you’re looking to spend more than $500 for one game and the console.
Sports Games Are Still Doing Well
Amidst all this, Battlefield 6 was the best-selling premium game throughout 2025 in the U.S, while College Football 26 takes the 5th spot. Madden 26 and EA FC 26 were at the 6th and 12th spots, respectively. Finally, the fact that physical software revenue dropped to 1995 levels is a stark reminder of the digital transition. With services like PS Plus and Game Pass dominating the ecosystem, the physical game market has shrunk back to its pre-PlayStation era size.
