A new industry survey reveals that most American gamers buy very few new games each year, showing that a small group of frequent buyers sustains much of the traditional game market.
Market research firm Circana released its Q3 2025 Future of Video Games survey, which found that 63 percent of U.S. gamers purchase only one or two video games annually. The data shows that 33 percent of players buy a new game less often than once a year, 18 percent buy about every six months, and 12 percent purchase roughly once a year. Combined, those figures indicate that nearly two-thirds of players make no more than two new game purchases per year.
At the other end of the spectrum, 22 percent of respondents said they buy a new game about every three months, while 10 percent reported purchasing one monthly. Only 4 percent said they buy more than one game a month.
Circana senior director Mat Piscatella said that these high-frequency buyers play a crucial role in keeping the premium gaming market viable. “Hyper enthusiast, price-insensitive players are really keeping things going, especially in the non-free-to-play gaming space,” Piscatella said in a social media post sharing the results.
Piscatella added that many of those who follow gaming industry trends likely fall within this 14 percent of players who buy a game or more per month, and therefore may not recognize that the majority of players purchase far fewer titles each year. He also stated that the continued rise in deluxe editions, collector’s editions, and other premium products is largely driven by this small segment of affluent gamers. Publishers and developers, he explained, often target these buyers when setting prices, knowing they are less sensitive to higher costs.
Several factors are believed to contribute to the low purchase frequency seen among most players. Many gamers now dedicate their time and money to a handful of “forever games” that offer ongoing live service updates or social experiences with friends. Others cite inconsistent quality among new releases as a reason to wait for reviews or discounts before making a purchase. Economic pressures and higher living costs have also influenced spending habits, making full-price game purchases less frequent.
Additionally, subscription-based services and free-to-play models have transformed the way players access new content. Services such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus provide large libraries of games for a monthly fee, while popular free-to-play titles continue to generate high revenue through in-game purchases rather than upfront sales.
The findings show a significant divide in the gaming market between casual buyers and heavy spenders. Although most players rarely purchase new games, they remain financially engaged through subscriptions and microtransactions. As the cost of developing and marketing games continues to rise, publishers may increasingly rely on this small but dedicated group of high-spending players to maintain profitability.
It remains to be seen whether these purchasing patterns will change as the industry adapts to new pricing strategies and evolving consumer expectations heading into 2026.
This looks really cool. Thanks for sharing.
This is heartening news. i feared they were thoroughly immersed in fantasy worlds. me, i haven’t purchased any new games in years. They can become an excuse for wasting time.
Makes sense… I don’t buy games often either, usually stick to just a few each year.
Finally! I’m a member of a majority!
🤘🤘🤘
Interesting fact, I definitely beat the avearge by a metric ton XD.
Yeah, because they are to expensive 🙄!
For real
Doesn’t surprise me with how expensive games have gotten these days