Video games spending by young Americans is dropping sharply, report suggests

Video games spending by young Americans is dropping sharply, report suggests | GamesIndustry.biz

The average weekly spending by 18-24 year-old Americans on video games has dropped sharply year-over-year, according to…

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Young Americans Pull Back on Game Spending

New data from Circana (via the Wall Street Journal) shows 18- to 24-year-olds slashed their average weekly video game spending by nearly 25% year-over-year, while overall retail and online outlays for that group dipped 13% from January to April 2025. In contrast, older age brackets saw much smaller slowdowns, highlighting how job market woes, student loans and credit-card debt are pinching younger wallets hardest.

What’s especially striking is that gaming budgets are falling faster than general tech spending—and it’s happening just as hardware and software prices climb. Xbox consoles now start at $600, and blockbuster titles like Outer Worlds 2 and Mario Kart World are launching at an $80 price tag (with Donkey Kong Bananza set at $70).