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State of the market​

Total January projected spending across video game hardware, content and accessories grew 3% when compared to a year ago, to $4.7 billion. A 23% increase in subscription spending and 16% growth in hardware fueled the gain.

Software
January video game content spending grew 3% when compared to a year ago, to $4.3B. A 23% increase in subscription spending combined with slight gains across Console (+2%) and PC (+1%) content to offset a small drop in mobile (-1%) (mobile source: Sensor Tower).

Final Fantasy VII: Remake jumped to 9th in January from 225th in December due to the release of the Switch 2 and Xbox Series versions of the game during the month.

Hardware
Hardware spending increased 16% when compared to a year ago, reaching $248M. Nintendo Switch 2 spending was able to offset year-on-year declines seen across PlayStation 5 (-17%), Xbox Series (-27%) and Switch (-79%). Despite sales falling compared to a year ago, PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in both unit and dollar sales during January 2026. Nintendo Switch 2 ranked 2nd across both measures.

Mobile
Sensor Tower reports the top 10 mobile games in Jan and rank chg from Dec as: MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match (+1), Last War: Survival (-1), Candy Crush Saga, Gossip Harbor (+1), Kingshot (-1), Whiteout Survival (+1), Royal Kingdom (+1), Township (+2) and Free Fire (+2).

"The Clash Royale show seems to be officially over, as the game falls out of the top 10 ranking with -49% revenue over Dec 2025," said Sam Aune of Sensor Tower. "The game to keep your eye on is Loom Games' Pixel Flow!, which grew IAP revenue 79% month over month."

Accessories
Accessories spending dipped 5% compared to a year ago, to $185M This is the lowest January accessories spend total since January 2020 ($143M).

Software Charts

Rankings
Units: PS5 > NS2 > XBS > NSW > NEX > PC Portable
Revenue: PS5 > NS2 > XBS > PC Portable > NEX > NSW

Credits: Piscatella for the data, and Welfare for the thread formatting.

 

[jm89]

But it's only spain......

 

[Radical_3d]

But it's only spain......

And it is…

 

[onQ123]

Spain immigrants have taking over America

 

[lughnasadh123]

But it's only spain......

¡Dios mío!

 

[subzero83]

apparently Sub 200k switch 2. yea no slow down. let's keep hearing fastest console ever.

 

[Kilau]

But it's only spain......

 

[lh032]

BROOOOO OLD PS5 DESTROYS SWITCH 2 A NEW CONSOLE!!!!!

 

[Labadal]

And they want to raise the Switch 2 price.

Give me my ambassador program.

 

[LordOcidax]

Welfare estimates are in.

PS5: ~190K
NS2: ~185K
XBS: ~75K
NSW: ~33K
NEX: ~32K

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[Elios83]

Switch 2 is already falling behind PS5 in the west with no promotions, no GTAVI etc

The main issue imo is that the value proposition they offer to their traditional younger/kids and casuals audiences has significantly deteriorated, these people just won't pay 70-80$ for games in the mobile/smartphones era with f2p stuff that everyone has easy access to.

 

[Jaybe]

Welfare estimates are in.

PS5: ~190K
NS2: ~185K
XBS: ~75K
NSW: ~33K
NEX: ~32K

XBS now at 37 million and 75 thousand units sold

 

[onQ123]

Welfare estimates are in.

PS5: ~190K
NS2: ~185K
XBS: ~75K
NSW: ~33K
NEX: ~32K

Nevermind

Edit: it was Portal PCS that NEX beat

 

[LordOcidax]

That can't be right because NEX moved more units than Switch

Switch sold more Units, NEX made more revanue.

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Radical_3d]

We're a little late on schedule by just five centuries, but still on track with the original plan:

 

[subzero83]

Welfare estimates are in.

PS5: ~190K
NS2: ~185K
XBS: ~75K
NSW: ~33K
NEX: ~32K

These numbers seem off.

 

[LordOcidax]

These numbers seem off.

Based on what?

 

[Kacho]

Looks like the Code Vein audience is on PC

 

[LordOcidax]

 

[onQ123]

Switch sold more Units, NEX made more revanue.

I realized mistake moments later

 

[Mownoc]

Switch 2 Jan 2026: ~185k (4 weeks)
Switch Jan 2018: ~275k (5 weeks)

PS5 Jan 2026: ~190k (4 weeks)
PS4 Jan 2019: ~195k (4 weeks)

 

[LordOcidax]

I realized mistake moments later

I made the same mistake at first…

 

[subzero83]

Based on what?

revenue. ps5 was 399.99 and 449$. i suspect the digital sold best in this economy while the mario kart bundle at 499$ sold best on switch 2, if it was that close i think switch 2 would have more revenue.

 

[lughnasadh123]

I do wonder how much higher those Nex numbers need to be before people seriously start talking about it more. It's impressive how it continues to keep chugging along while largely being off the hardcore gaming mindspace. Are players swapping to that from other consoles or is it bringing new ones in that haven't played one of the big three?

 

[asdasdasdbb]

Switch 2 is already falling behind PS5 in the west with no promotions, no GTAVI etc

The Fortnite PS5 bundle is still available.

 

[onQ123]

Switch 2 Jan 2025: ~185k
Switch Jan 2018: ~275k (5 weeks)

PS5 Jan 2025; ~195k
PS4 Jan 2019: ~190k

Switch 2 selling 185K in Jan 2025 is actually amazing, 1st console to sell without being released

 

[LordOcidax]

revenue. ps5 was 399.99 and 449$. i suspect the digital sold best in this economy while the mario kart bundle at 499$ sold best on switch 2, if it was that close i think switch 2 would have more revenue.

We don't have that data, based on Welfares estimates those are the numbers at the moment.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Switch 2 Jan 2025: ~185k (4 weeks)
Switch Jan 2018: ~275k (5 weeks)

PS5 Jan 2025; ~195k (4 weeks)
PS4 Jan 2019: ~190k (4 weeks)

This is actually interesting...and PS5 is quite more expensive than PS4 was at this point as well even with the discounts (which in the usa weren't as big as everywhere else this time around).

I think PS5 this year will be performing quite similar to PS4 in 2019...but then blow up starting in September with Wolverine and then GTAVI, to surpass PS4 launch aligned by the end of December. That is, unless Sony increases the prices more during the year.

That said...the month was just depressing. Not much happened so it was always be slow both for software and hardware.

 

[LordOcidax]

Switch 2 selling 185K in Jan 2025 is actually amazing, 1st console to sell without being released

If the Walfare estimates are right, my Switch 2 prediction was on point. I underestimated the PS5 Fortnite bundle by a good margin. Fortnite still massive for Sony.

This was my prediction on Installbase.

[REV] 190M

1. [NS2] 185K
2. [PS5] 165K
3. [XBS] 35K
4. [NSW] 20K
5. [NEX] 10K

 

[Radical_3d]

PS5 Jan 2026: ~195k (4 weeks)
PS4 Jan 2019: ~190k (4 weeks)

 

[jm89]

Switch 2 Jan 2026: ~185k (4 weeks)
Switch Jan 2018: ~275k (5 weeks)

That drop off. Nintendo guys aren't ready for this convo.

 

[Topher]

Ghost of Yotei still charting?

 

[subzero83]

This is actually interesting...and PS5 is quite more expensive than PS4 was at this point as well even with the discounts (which in the usa weren't as big as everywhere else this time around).

I think PS5 this year will be performing quite similar to PS4 in 2019...but then blow up starting in September with Wolverine and then GTAVI, to surpass PS4 launch aligned by the end of December. That is, unless Sony increases the prices more during the year.

That said...the month was just depressing. Not much happened so it was always be slow both for software and hardware.

ps5 is only selling this good cause xbox is dead. consoles sales are showing a huge slow down.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

That drop off. Nintendo guys aren't ready for this convo.

It's hard to compare because Switch 2 sold so much at first. The first Switch was a slow burner.

I do think as this year progresses we will see how sales will happen for most Nintendo games. I'm sure another Pokemon, Mario or Zelda game will always move a lot of units for Nintendo.

ps5 is only selling this good cause xbox is dead. consoles sales are showing a huge slow down.

PSOne is only selling so well because Sega and Nintendo are failing with Saturn and N64
PS2 is only selling because it has a DVD reader
PS3 is just a cheap Blu Ray player since the slim model, that's why it made a comeback
PS4 is only recovering for Sony because Xbox failed with Xbox One.
"ps5 is only selling this good cause xbox is dead"

Consoles are slowing down because...have you seen how the world is right now? Everything is expensive as fuck.

I missed posts like this actually. Sony isn't doing anything right....they don't have promos happening, they aren't working to have those units moved. No...they only sell cause everyone is failing. /s

 

[onQ123]

This is actually interesting...and PS5 is quite more expensive than PS4 was at this point as well even with the discounts (which in the usa weren't as big as everywhere else this time around).

I think PS5 this year will be performing quite similar to PS4 in 2019...but then blow up starting in September with Wolverine and then GTAVI, to surpass PS4 launch aligned by the end of December. That is, unless Sony increases the prices more during the year.

That said...the month was just depressing. Not much happened so it was always be slow both for software and hardware.

I think the MGS collection vol 2 can also move the needle thanks to the fact it's skipping PS4 & MGS4 has been stuck on PS3.

 

[Radical_3d]

Ghost of Yotei still charting?

A samurai vengeance story with the looks and an open world must be quite attractive for the semi-casual audience. I know one guy like that. Worst person I know.

 

[phant0m]

Switch 2 is already falling behind PS5 in the west with no promotions, no GTAVI etc

The main issue imo is that the value proposition they offer to their traditional younger/kids and casuals audiences has significantly deteriorated, these people just won't pay 70-80$ for games in the mobile/smartphones era with f2p stuff that everyone has easy access to.

My wife works in middle school, prime Nintendo age. All they play or talk about is Fortnite and Roblox

 

[Generic]

Battlefield tried (again) but couldn't stop it.

 

[LordCBH]

God that software chart is depressing.

4 of the 10 are literal slop, and one of the ten is a game that's been sold to pretty much the entire population by now.

 

[Pedro Motta]

Is there a Spanish studio they can buy and then close it?

 

[LordOcidax]

Switch 2 Jan 2026: ~185k (4 weeks)
Switch Jan 2018: ~275k (5 weeks)

PS5 Jan 2026: ~190k (4 weeks)
PS4 Jan 2019: ~195k (4 weeks)

Switch 2 + Switch 1 Jan 2026: ~233k (4 weeks)
Switch 1 + Wii U: Jan 2018 275k (5 weeks)

For Nintendo is probably the same. Talking about home consoles.

 

[scydrex]

A 5yr old hardware outselling a 8 month old hardware. That's impressive.

 

[Radical_3d]

I think the MGS collection vol 2 can also move the needle thanks to the fact it's skipping PS4 & MGS4 has been stuck on PS3.

 

[Deerock71]

Getting popcorn to watch this get blown out of proportion.

 

[Elios83]

My wife works in middle school, prime Nintendo age. All they play or talk about is Fortnite and Roblox

That's their biggest enemy, telling these people and their parents to buy Mario Kart and other games at 70$ is simply not a good value proposition anymore and their sales have traditionally been fueled significantly by these demographics.
Nintendo needs to do something with their software prices but stubborn and slow to react as they usually are they'll probably accept the slowdown in hw sales.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I think the MGS collection vol 2 can also move the needle thanks to the fact it's skipping PS4 & MGS4 has been stuck on PS3.

You think a remaster of PS3's MGS4 can make people buy PS5 consoles, even though it's also releasing on both Switch consoles, PC and Xbox Series?

Ain't no one buying a 450/500 piece of hardware to play MGS4 in 2026.

 

[Hyper_hyper]

PS5 still No.1 and Yotei still charting. Awesome!

ps5 is only selling this good cause xbox is dead. consoles sales are showing a huge slow down.

Yeah, heard that for PS4 too back then.