Final month kicked off the large annual torrent of autumn recreation releases and Circana has lastly shared its newest gross sales information and estimates for September 2026. What did we be taught? Video games are up. {Hardware} is down. Wolverine took dwelling the gold. Xbox gross sales proceed to say no.
Circana senior director and gaming analysis head Mat Piscatella shared his newest month-to-month breakdown of U.S. gross sales information this morning over on Bluesky. “U.S. online game projected complete spending throughout content material, {hardware} and equipment fell 1 % in September when in comparison with a 12 months in the past, to $4.8 billion,” he wrote. “Yr-to-date spending is now 3 % behind 2025’s tempo, at $41.0 billion.”
Marvel’s Wolverine was the large winner. It was the top-selling recreation for September 2026, even forward of NBA 2K27 and EA Sports activities FC 27. It’s already eleventh total on the record of top-selling video games year-to-date. Each of these information factors are tracing forward of Ghost of Yotei‘s fall launch a year ago. “Marvel’s Wolverine generated the very best launch month full recreation greenback gross sales for a Sony printed title for the reason that February 2024 debut of Helldivers II,” in accordance with Piscatella. That’s with Insomniac Video games’ newest launch getting a middling Metacritic rating and being fully unique (no PC launch is deliberate).
That’s nice for Sony, however what about the remainder of the AAA gaming area? Normally, the month-to-month best-sellers record is stuffed with hangers-on from prior months, together with annual sports activities video games and Name of Obligation sequels. However September’s record was virtually fully dominated by new releases. These ranged from The Blood of Dawnwalker to Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve. There was a mixture of genres and sequels and massive franchises alongside first-time releases. That’s heartening.
Much less heartening is the information round console gross sales. As soon as once more, Sony excelled. “PlayStation 5 unit gross sales elevated by 22 % year-on-year, with Swap 2 unit gross sales falling 14 % and Xbox Collection dropping 27 %,” Piscatella wrote. PS5 is presumably up due to the bump from Grand Theft Auto 6‘s Netflix reveal the month prior. Swap 2 gross sales are seemingly down amid the most recent worth hike, although which may reverse as we get nearer to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s launch in November.
And what about Xbox? Information from the {hardware} entrance continues to sound dismal. The AI-fueled worth hikes aren’t serving to, neither is Microsoft’s hampered provide chain. An all-digital PS5 will presently promote for $600. The equal Xbox Collection X begins at $750. Microsoft can also be seemingly having hassle maintaining its consoles effectively stocked. A message that allegedly went out to some customers who haven’t turned their present Xbox on shortly asked them to resell to Best Buy the place somebody who would possibly truly use it may choose it up at a reduction.