September 2026 saw a strong performance in video game content sales, driven by the success of new releases like Marvel's Wolverine, which topped the charts. However, overall spending in the U.S. video game market experienced a slight decrease compared to the previous year, according to data from Circana.
Total U.S. video game spending, encompassing content, hardware, and accessories, fell 1 percent to $4.8 billion in September 2026. Year-to-date spending is now 3 percent behind last year's pace, standing at $41.0 billion.
Marvel's Wolverine emerged as the best-selling game for September, outperforming titles such as NBA 2K27 and EA Sports FC 27. This new release from Insomniac Games has already secured the 11th spot on the year-to-date top-selling list. Piscatella noted that Marvel's Wolverine achieved the highest launch month dollar sales for a Sony-published full game since Helldivers II in February 2024, despite a middling Metacritic score and its status as a console exclusive.
The September best-sellers list was notably dominated by new releases across various genres, including The Blood of Dawnwalker and Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, indicating a healthy appetite for fresh titles.
In contrast to the strong content sales, hardware performance presented a more challenging picture. PlayStation 5 unit sales increased by 22 percent year-on-year, potentially boosted by the prior month's Grand Theft Auto 6 reveal. However, Nintendo Switch 2 unit sales declined by 14 percent, and Xbox Series unit sales dropped by 27 percent.
The decline in Xbox sales appears to be exacerbated by higher pricing and supply chain issues. The all-digital PlayStation 5 is priced at $600, while the equivalent Xbox Series X starts at $750. Reports suggest Microsoft is also struggling with stock availability, with some users who have inactive consoles reportedly being encouraged to trade them in to Best Buy for discounted prices.