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Apr 2026 USA Sales: Unremarkable Start for Saros on PS5, as Circana Adds Digital Projections
Circana's April 2026 US sales report, which now includes projected digital sales for publishers like Nintendo, shows Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream as the best-selling game. Saros had a soft debut on PlayStation 5, ranking ninth, while Starfield saw a significant jump following its PS5 release. The Nintendo Switch outsold the PlayStation 5 in units and revenue, though the PS5 remains ahead of the PS4's launch-aligned performance.
Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Beat Every Other Game In The US Last Month
US video game spending reached $4.3 billion in April 2026, a 3% increase year-over-year, with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream topping sales charts. Nintendo's Switch 2 was the best-selling hardware platform, driving a 44% increase in new physical software sales.
New consumer survey finds exclusives are the number one reason people play on a console, but is there more to it than that?
A new survey by Circana reveals that 41% of console gamers cite exclusive titles as their primary reason for choosing a platform, though this figure has decreased by eight points from the previous year. Despite the importance of exclusives for hardware sales, popular non-exclusive live service games like Fortnite and Call of Duty continue to dominate player engagement across PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
ESA Canada Reveals Resident Evil Requiem is Canada's Top Selling Game For March 2026 | Console Creatures
Entertainment Software Association Canada has reported that Resident Evil Requiem was the top-selling game in Canada for March 2026. The monthly rankings also featured titles like MLB The Show 26, WWE 2K26, Marathon, and various sports games, with data compiled in collaboration with Circana.
ESA Canada Reveals Resident Evil Requiem is Canada's Top Selling Game For Mach 2026 | Console Creatures
Resident Evil Requiem was Canada's top-selling game in March 2026, according to data released by ESA Canada and Circana. The monthly rankings also featured titles like MLB The Show 26, WWE 2K26, Marathon, and various sports games. Digital sales for Pokémon Pokopia were excluded from the March rankings.
Why Xbox took Call of Duty out of Game Pass
Xbox has announced that Call of Duty titles will now be added to Game Pass Ultimate approximately one year after launch, rather than at launch. Data from Newzoo suggests that while Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 saw a temporary increase in Xbox engagement, it did not translate to sustained sales, indicating that Game Pass may be cannibalizing premium purchases.
Despite the negativity, Marathon was one of last month's best-selling games, though there's a catch
Despite significant negativity, Bungie's Marathon was a top seller by revenue in the US during March and has maintained a notable player count on Steam. However, the game's high development cost and Sony's acquisition of Bungie suggest it may not yet be the commercial success anticipated, especially considering its player count has dropped since launch.
After just 2 months, Resident Evil Requiem is already one of the top 5 best-selling games in US series history
Resident Evil Requiem has achieved significant sales success in the US, becoming one of the top five best-selling games in the franchise's history within just two months of its release. According to Mat Piscatella of Circana, the game trails only Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 4 (2023), Resident Evil Village, and the original Resident Evil 4 in all-time US dollar sales.
US Gaming Sales Data for March 2026 Shows Beasties Can't Beat Baseball
Circana's March 2026 US gaming sales data reveals MLB The Show 26 as the top-selling game for the month, surpassing Resident Evil Requiem. Despite strong performances from other titles like WWE 2K26 and Marathon, baseball and wrestling games dominated the charts. The Nintendo Switch led hardware sales, with the PlayStation 5 in second place, while the Xbox Series X|S showed declining performance.
Ubisoft reportedly cancels life-simulator project Alterra
Ubisoft has reportedly cancelled its life simulator project, codenamed Alterra, with affected employees being reassigned to other projects. The game, described as an Animal Crossing-style title with voxel creation, had been in development for about 18 months at Ubisoft Montréal. This cancellation follows Ubisoft's recent introduction of a Creative House structure and other cost-cutting measures, including the discontinuation of three other games and studio closures.
These New Releases Gave Game Spending A Much-Needed Boost In March
US video game spending reached $5.3 billion in March, a 12% increase year-over-year, driven by new releases like Crimson Desert, MLB The Show 26, and Pokemon Pokopia. Hardware spending also saw a significant 69% jump, with the Nintendo Switch 2 leading sales, followed by the PlayStation 5.
Arc Raiders and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 help show "mid-price is the new sweet spot" for games, analysts…
Analysts at Newzoo identify the $30-$50 price range as the new sweet spot for PC and console games, citing titles like Arc Raiders and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as examples of successful mid-priced releases. This trend emerges as the overall cost of gaming increases, with players seeking better value between indie and premium $70 titles.
PS5-försäljningen rusade inför prishöjningen
Following Sony's announcement of global price increases for PlayStation consoles, US sales of the PlayStation 5 hardware saw a significant surge, reaching their highest point of the year during the week ending April 4th. The price hike, which took effect on April 2nd, has led to increased hardware sales compared to the previous year.
Crimson Desert players average over 20 hours a week in the open-world game, blowing away almost everything else on…
Crimson Desert players are averaging over 20 hours per week, with US players on Xbox averaging 20 hours and PlayStation players averaging 22 hours in the week ending March 28. This playtime places Crimson Desert as the top game on Xbox and second on PlayStation for average weekly hours per active user, according to Circana's Mat Piscatella. The game also saw a significant increase in total weekly active users across both platforms.
Epic Games lays off over 1000 employees, blames declining interest in Fortnite
Epic Games has laid off over 1000 employees, citing a significant downturn in Fortnite engagement and financial losses. CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the company is spending more than it earns, necessitating these cuts and other cost-saving measures. Concurrently, Epic announced the shutdown of several Fortnite modes, including Rocket Racing and Festival Battle Stage, due to a failure to attract and retain a large player base.
US: Nintendo Switch 2 remains 2nd fastest selling hardware in tracked history
Mat Piscatella of Circana reports that the Nintendo Switch remains the second fastest-selling video game hardware in the United States, despite sales not meeting internal expectations during the Christmas season. The Game Boy Advance holds the record for the fastest-selling hardware in tracked US history.
Mario Tennis Fever Takes Out Top Spot In February 2026 Nintendo Charts (US)
Mario Tennis Fever topped the US Nintendo sales charts for February 2026, followed by Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Resident Evil Requiem was the best-selling premium game across all platforms in the US for the month, with Capcom reporting over six million units sold. The Nintendo Switch 2 saw significant year-on-year spending growth, while the PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in unit and dollar sales.
Resident Evil Requiem Reigns Supreme in February 2026, Circana Says
Circana's February 2026 US sales data shows Resident Evil Requiem as the top-selling game for both the month and year-to-date. NBA 2K26 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 followed in second and third place respectively. The PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console, with the Nintendo Switch 2 in second, as the overall hardware market saw a 22% increase.
Best-selling games in the U.S. for February 2026 – Resident Evil Requiem, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, Mario Tennis Fever make the cut
Circana has released the top ten best-selling video games in the U.S. for February 2026. Resident Evil Requiem secured the number one spot, followed by other new releases like Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Mario Tennis Fever.
US Gamers Are Spending Way Less Than They Used To On Physical Games
US spending on physical video games saw an 11% decline from 2024 to 2025, reaching an all-time low of $1.5 billion in 2025. While this trend reflects the rise of digital distribution and subscription services like PlayStation Plus Catalog and Xbox Game Pass, the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 is noted to have helped stabilize numbers. Analysts suggest a potential resurgence of physical media could occur as older technologies gain popularity.
