Spending on game consoles is up because of the Switch 2 and tariffs

Americans are spending more on game consoles in 2025, compared to August of last year, and that’s mostly thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2 and tariffs. Hardware sales topped $312 million in the US in August, up 32 percent from $236 million in August of 2024, according to Circana. That’s a huge increase, especially considering that sales of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and original Switch all fell by double-digit percentage points year over year.

A big driver is the Switch 2, which has sold over 2.4 million units in the US during its first three months, making it the fastest selling console of all time. It’s outpacing the PlayStation 4 (the previous record holder) by a full five percent after the three month mark. And compared to the original Switch, the Switch 2 is absolutely crushing — outpacing its predecessor by 77 percent at this stage of its lifecycle. 

Consumer spending on game consoles in the US is up to $2.9 billion for the year, 20 percent higher than last year. But while the number of consoles sold is up 6.5 percent year-over-year, prices are up 12.3 percent, accounting for most of the increase in spending. A 512GB Xbox Series S started the year at $299.99, and is now $399.99. The all-digital Series X started at $449.99, and is now all the way up to $599.99. Similarly all PlayStation 5 models have seen a $50 price bump. 

Despite the soaring prices, consumers haven’t been scared off yet. But, while $799.99 for a tricked out 2TB Xbox Series X in Galaxy Black is hard to swallow, we haven’t quite reached Neo Geo prices yet. That handheld debuted at $649.99 in 1990 — or about $1,500 in today’s money. So, the bar is pretty high.