Sales of new physical games in the United States increased by 5% in 2026 thanks to game-key cards, reversing the downward trend that had prevailed in this sector in recent years.
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According to Circana, this is the first annual increase in the category in more than a decade. However, this development does not necessarily indicate that consumers are turning back to traditional physical versions of games en masse. A key factor behind the increase was the Nintendo Switch 2 and, in particular, game-key cards.
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These cards are available in physical form, but do not include the full game data, as they must be downloaded online. Spending on game-key cards soared 631%, offsetting a 3% decline in sales of other physical editions. A significant contribution to this development was also the expansion of the available range, with 54 new titles released in this format in 2026.
Despite the positive performance of physical games, the overall picture of the US video game market remained negative. In August, consumer spending fell 9% to $4.3 billion, while console unit sales fell 15%.
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As for the highest-selling games for the same month, NBA 2K27 was in first place, with Madden NFL 27 and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls completing the top three.
