Since 1973, video games controlled with hand-held devices have captured global attention, with sports games taking center stage right from the start thanks to an early, simple tennis-inspired classic. For countless gamers, their love of gaming began on Christmas morning, unwrapping packages that matched the size of those coveted titles seen behind glass in stores. Sports games, in particular, have held a unique place in the festive magic of the holidays.
So which sports titles had the greatest impact on each holiday season? This list was compiled based on factors such as sales figures, the game’s influence on console sales, and its overall cultural significance.
This list is based on the 2020s. For the lists based on the previous decades, check out the following:
[2020] Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
Nothing sells quite like nostalgia. As new generation consoles were about to come into the spotlight, their backwards compatibility promised that this title was safe to buy for the holidays on PS4 and Xbox One, with a coming upgrade. And with holidays 2020 being the “lockdown holidays”, nothing beat a game that provided infinite replayability and a reminder of happier times. The gaming industry saw record engagement as people looked for escapism anywhere they could. And if they happened to look here, they were not disappointed.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 was less a remake and more a precise reconstruction of a core memory for millions. Arguably, Vicarious Visions made the game better than it was at the time, but still somehow exactly the way you remembered it.
Rather than using modern physics, the team reverse-engineered the original Neversoft physics, making the snap of the ollie and the speed feel indistinguishable from 2000. It featured the original roster (now in their 40s and 50s but still scanned beautifully), as well as a new generation of diverse skaters. They also managed to relicense nearly every song from the original, a concern that many fans felt was more important than the gameplay itself. But sure enough, “Superman” and “Guerrilla Radio” were once again blaring from our speakers.
Just like in 1999, a demo of the Warehouse level was released early, immediately going viral and proving to skeptics that the franchise was indeed back. To top it off, a documentary entitled “Pretending I’m a Superman” coincided with its release, celebrating skate culture.
This was the game that parents put under the tree for their kids, but was really for themselves and their desire to hold in their hands a true time machine, making a series of 2-minute visits to the turn of the millennium all the way through winter.
[2021] FIFA 22 (PS5/XBX/PS4/Xbox One/PC)
By the holidays of 2021, the PS5 and Xbox Series X had been in stores for a year but were still fairly difficult to find, especially Sony’s machine. The gaming world was still split between the next-gen luckies and the last-gen seekers. FIFA 22 exacerbated this wedge by releasing a monumental leap forward on next-gen.
HyperMotion Technology was the buzzword for the back of the box. Previously, EA Sports captured movements of one or two players at a time in a studio. This time, 22 players in Xsens mocap suits played a real, high-intensity match. The game would then use machine learning to write new animations in real-time based on that data. It was the first gimmick word in a while that felt like it was doing exactly the amazing thing it claimed.
The result was that the game felt heavier, like actual human movement. Players didn’t slide; they planted. The team moved as a unit. It was the single most definitive step toward athletic simulation the sports gaming world had possibly ever seen.
And after years of begging, Career Mode fans were finally given the ability to create their own team from scratch, designing the crest, kit, and stadium. Around the world, FIFA was already a standard gift for fans of the world’s game, but 2021 felt different. If you unwrapped FIFA 22 for PS5 or Xbox Series X, you were in for months of goosebumps from simple things like the way the net rippled or how hair moved on players. Next-gen, in the best of ways.
[2022] Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch)
Though released in April, the addition of the Golf update in late November refreshed the hype cycle just in time for the holiday shopping rush. And for good reason. For many extended families, this was the first Christmas together since 2019 and a time when large gatherings were starting to feel normal again. Part of that normality was undoubtedly the magic that Nintendo had created through Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and now Switch Sports.
The Switch was now in over 100 million homes, so no significant risk needed to be taken. Rather than trying to invent the wheel, Nintendo sought to remind players how much fun that wheel was. It took the Wii Sports classics and gave them an HD facelift.
Bowling, Tennis, and Swordplay (or Chambara) returned, and the muscle memory was instant. Everyone knew how to play before they even picked up the Joy-Con. It was like returning to an old friend, while literally being back around old friends. New sports stood out, such as Volleyball and Badminton, and were perfect showcases for the Joy-Con’s updated motion precision over the Wii-motes of old.
The soundtrack itself was a jazzy remix of the orchestral hits from the Wii, triggering a Pavlovian response in Millennials that might have been psychological manipulation on the part of Nintendo. Nevertheless, it was smart, and this bridge between the Wii Generation and the Switch Generation was just what the doctor ordered after some darker times.
[2023] EA FC 24 (PS5/XBX/PS4/Xbox One/PC/Switch)
For 30 years, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was as synonymous with soccer games as John Madden was to football. But after a conflict over the price of licensing, suddenly the long-term marriage was gone, and in its place was… largely the same thing. Still, some wondered if it wasn’t called FIFA, would people still recognize it as the standard and buy it?
EA Sports didn’t just survive the name change; they thrived on it. It turned out that FIFA might have needed EA more than EA needed FIFA (as many to this day still call the series ‘FIFA’). Retaining the licensing to clubs and leagues around the world, the loss of the branding would largely only impact the World Cup (renamed the International Tournament in-game), and the perennial juggernaut kept dashing forward.
This game introduced PlayStyles. Rather than just ratings, players had styles such as trickster and pinged pass, giving certain superstars abilities that made them feel uniquely dangerous, akin to Madden’s X-Factors.
The next step of HyperMotion, HyperMotionV, promised that the tech was now being applied to hundreds of real matches and the result was 1,200 distinct running styles. You could recognize certain players just by their unique gait, a true accomplishment in animation for a simulation. And for the first time, the Switch version was upgraded from the legacy version to the current outing, finally making it a viable gift for Switch owners.
[2024] College Football 25 (PS5/XBX)
When was the last time that a sports video game ignited a significant surge in new-gen console purchases? That’s exactly what happened in the summer of 2024, as the return of college football was announced as exclusive to next-gen. That’s because this was THE return. After NCAA Football 14 was released in the summer of 2013, the series was killed by lawsuits regarding player likeness. In 2024, thanks to new laws for NIL (name, image, likeness), the heartbeat suddenly restarted for the lost franchise.
It shattered sales records and all expectations, even though they were already lofty. The momentum carried it straight through December, just as the real-world 12-team College Football Playoff was kicking off.
The game was built on nostalgia and modern complexity. The days of QB #12 were done. For the first time, without the use of community downloads, over 11,000 student-athletes put names on paper and were able to represent themselves in-game.
The returning title marked the debut of the wear and tear system, forcing players to manage their depth charts like a real coach and adding a level of authenticity to that point missing from its Madden counterpart. Home field advantage, a staple in the previous life of the franchise, returned with a vengeance and all the squiggly lines and false start penalties one could ask for. And the addition of the transfer portal, modern college football’s most controversial and chaotic aspect, introduced the present-day intensity of recruiting as you fought not only for high school and JUCO players, but for players leaving other programs…and possibly preventing them from leaving your own.
The tagline was simple but spoke volumes to an entire generation: “Yeah, it’s Really Happening.” It acknowledged the decade of loss and celebrated the return of the pageantry that only college football can provide.
[2025] Prediction – Mario Kart World (Switch 2)
After eight years of the dominant Switch, Nintendo has finally released its successor, complete with a new Mario Kart as a launch title. Fans had eagerly awaited a sequel to the outstanding Mario Kart 8, but the lifetime of the Switch saw only updates to the admittedly already winning formula. Mario Kart World broke the mold and abandoned the menu-based system for a massive, shared-world driving experience.
Spawning in Crown City, the drivable hub world, you start a Grand Prix by physically driving your kart to the stadium. To battle, you drive to the arena. It’s like Mario had been playing Forza Horizon and figured, “Why not?”
The hardware boost allows for double the grid size, increasing the number of drivers in a race to 24 on a single track. This is absolute bedlam and adds to the intensity of trying to grab 1st place while dodging all manner of projectiles. A new mechanic replaced the hop, called the charge jump. By holding the jump button, players can charge a vertical leap to grind on rails, hop over red shells, and even find shortcuts. It added verticality that should keep veteran players hunting for the next best path for months to come.
Fun fact: on launch day, Nintendo flew a blue shell drone over the cities of Tokyo, New York, and London. It was unique. It was terrifying. It was brilliant. The new hub world could find many this Christmas in a hurry to do nothing but relax, casually honk at each other, and marvel at another stellar entry in the Mario Kart franchise.
