The U.S. video game industry reaches the final quarter of 2026 with its indicators seeing ups and downs, yet the fans’ enthusiasm remains as strong as ever.
According to tech data provider Circana’s latest report, in August 2026, NBA 2K27 (Take-Two Interactive) was the best-selling game for the month. While it didn’t clinch the top spot, Madden NFL 27 (EA Sports) came in second and fourth place, as the game’s Kickoff Bundle 2026 (EA Sports) version also appeared on the charts.
Overall, it was a solid month for new games. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls (Arc System Works) debuted in third place, Star Wars Zero Company (Electronic Arts) landed in fifth place, and Big Walk (House House) took eighth place. In total, five of the top 10 best-selling games in August 2026 were new, with Halo: Campaign Evolved (Halo Studios), the Switch 2 port of Elden Ring (FromSoftware), Mario Kart World (Nintendo), and Splatoon Raiders (Nintendo) rounding out the list.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the U.S. for August 2026 in terms of units sold and dollar sales. The PlayStation 5 came in second place in terms of both units sold and dollar sales. The Xbox Series X|S took third place, followed by the Nintendo Switch in fourth place. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the best-selling console in 2026 year-to-date, followed by the PlayStation 5 in second place.
General spending on video games in August 2026 decreased nine percent year-on-year from USD 4.67 billion to USD 4.26 billion. Spending on video game content was down 10 percent from USD 4.18 billion to USD 3.78 billion, while video game hardware sales decreased three percent from USD 312 million to USD 302 million. Spending on accessories increased three percent from USD 171 million to USD 176 million.
About the best-selling games so far in 2026 in the United States, they are spread across an unusual range of genres. Survival horror, a James Bond origin story, a South Korean open-world action role-playing game, the only major licensed Major League Baseball simulation on sale, racing, two life simulations, a LEGO superhero game and a college football story are at the top ten list.
We are referring to Resident Evil: Requiem (Capcom USA); 007 First Light (IO Interactive); Crimson Desert (Pearl Abyss); MLB The Show 26 (Sony San Diego Studio); Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Microsoft); Forza Horizon 6 (Microsoft); Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (Nintendo); LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Games); Pokemon: Pokopia (Nintendo), and EA Sports College Football 27 (Electronic Arts).
Together these titles describe a U.S. market propped up by franchise loyalty, licensed sports rights and reissued favorites, at a moment when fewer people are buying the consoles to play them on. Of course, this top 10 ranking is expected to change once the data for all games released during the bumper September 2026 and October 2026 months is analyzed, and when GTA 6 appears, a game that will surely be a sales juggernaut when it arrives in November 2026.