The total consumer spending on games topped $60 billion in the US in 2025, according to the latest report by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
As shown in the ESA’s 2026 Essential Facts About the US Video Game Industry report, video games are outpacing consumer spending on movies, TV, and music combined.
Sourced via Circana, the total figure amounts to $60.7 billion. This is made out of $52.3 billion spent on content, $5.4 billion on hardware, and $2.95 billion on accessories. The figure is almost as high as 2021, the year with the highest spending thus far at $61.7 billion.
The report also includes a breakdown from a US-based survey to showcase more details about the total consumer spending. It’s important to note that these surveys were conducted by YouGov in February of this year, with 13,545 total respondents.
The number of respondents includes 9,932 players who spend at least one hour per week playing video games on a smartphone, tablet, PC, console, or VR headset. Out of the 9,932, 7,971 are adults, and 1,961 are kids or teens. The remaining 3,613 are adults who either don’t play video games or spend less than an hour per week playing.
As per the report, 43 percent of the surveyed consumers purchased a game. 33 percent were digital copies, and 24 percent were physical. It’s worth noting that 58 percent of respondents opted for a free download. 35 percent purchased a game subscription, and 19 percent borrowed, traded, or rented a game.
What attributes are deemed most important when considering a new game? Among total players over the age of 18, it comes down to price (52 percent), quality of gameplay (47 percent), interesting story/premise (41 percent), the game’s genre (41 percent), the quality of the graphics (37 percent), and whether or not it includes single player gameplay (37 percent).
When it comes to spending on cosmetic items and downloadable content, 58 percent of the surveyed players over the age of 8 have ever purchased in-game content. In decreasing order, this includes in-game currency (34 percent), skins or customization items (27 percent), season passes/battle passes (26 percent), expansion packs (26 percent), additional maps/levels (19 percent), and randomized content packs (15 percent).
The ESA report also has an interesting metric about parental direction when it comes to in-game purchases. 54 percent of parents purchased in-game content for their children. 93 Percent of parents who have purchased in-game content for their children said that they needed to approve purchases.