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NBA 2K27 US sales put the basketball game at the top of the August 2026 monthly chart, making it the third-best-selling game of the year to date, according to Circana data. The result came despite the game entering early access late in the month, while overall video game spending and hardware sales showed year-over-year declines.
NBA 2K27 US sales lead the August chart
NBA 2K27 entered early access on August 26 and reached first place within the four days covered by Circana’s August tracking period, which ran from August 2 to August 29. The monthly top five featured new releases and a bundle, with six newly released titles appearing in the top ten.
Madden NFL 27 ranked second, followed by Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The Kickoff Bundle (2026), which includes the standard editions of Madden NFL 27 and EA Sports College Football 27, placed fourth. Star Wars: Zero Company rounded out the top five.
For players comparing the monthly rankings, keep in mind that the chart combines reported digital sales and projections for some titles; the markers used for each game are listed below.
Other notable game rankings
Elden Ring climbed from 41st place the previous month to seventh after its Nintendo Switch 2 version launched on August 28. Mario Kart World ranked ninth, while Splatoon Raiders moved to tenth. Halo: Campaign Evolved held sixth place, and Big Walk debuted at eighth.
NBA 2K25 was also set to leave digital storefronts at the end of August, with its servers scheduled to shut down on December 31, 2026. Players who still use the game’s online features should check the service timeline and make any relevant plans before that date.
US video game spending and hardware trends
Total US consumer spending on video games fell 9% year over year in August to $4.3 billion. Mobile revenue declined 18%, while total content sales dropped 10% to $3.8 billion, compared with $4.1 billion in August 2025. Console content spending was down 7%; subscription spending rose 3%, and PC content spending increased 13%.
Year-to-date spending on new physical software reached $738 million, up 5% in August. Game-Key Card physical releases grew 631%, offsetting a 3% decline in other physical formats. These figures suggest that physical sales varied considerably by format, so the overall increase does not apply to every type of retail release.
Hardware unit sales fell 15% year over year to 559,000, the lowest August total since 2013, when 423,000 units were sold. Xbox unit sales decreased 31%, PlayStation fell 11%, and Nintendo hardware sales were down 15% compared with August 2025. Overall hardware spending declined 3% to $302 million, although PlayStation 5 hardware sales grew 17%. Spending on Xbox Series and Switch 2 hardware each fell 13%.
The average price of a new gaming hardware unit reached an August record of $541, above the previous August record of $476 set in 2025. For buyers, that price measure offers useful market context, but individual prices can vary by console, retailer and bundle.
Projected top-selling games, August 2–29, 2026
The following rankings are based on Circana data. “NEW” indicates a new entry in the chart; the figures retain the digital-sales qualifications supplied with the rankings.
- NBA 2K27^ — NEW
- Madden NFL 27* — NEW
- Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls^ — NEW
- Kickoff Bundle (2026)* — NEW
- Star Wars: Zero Company* — NEW
- Halo: Campaign Evolved* — previous rank: 6
- Elden Ring^ — previous rank: 41
- Big Walk* — NEW
- Mario Kart World* — previous rank: 19
- Splatoon Raiders* — previous rank: 7
^ Includes Digital Point of Sale Actuals. * Includes Digital Sales Projections.
What the August chart shows
NBA 2K27 US sales led a month in which new releases dominated the highest chart positions, while spending patterns differed across mobile, PC, subscriptions, physical games and hardware. The ranking reflects a defined tracking window, so it should be read as an August snapshot rather than a full-year sales total.
