Call of Duty and PlayStation 5 Lead U.S. Video Game Sales in a Quiet January

IGN

by Rebekah Valentine

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

January saw a relatively quiet period in U.S. gaming sales, with few major releases and a slowdown following last year's busy holiday season. Despite this, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 remained the top-selling game for the month, solidifying its position as a standout title in an otherwise subdued market. The PlayStation 5 also continued to dominate hardware sales, leading both in units sold and revenue generation. Nintendo Switch 2 came in second, with its performance bolstered by its recent release, while spending on other consoles like Xbox Series and Switch 1 saw significant declines. The gaming market showed some notable trends in January. Overall hardware spending increased by 16% year-over-year, driven largely by the Switch 2's success. Meanwhile, software spending rose by 3%, with subscription services contributing a substantial portion of this growth. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 topped the charts once again, followed closely by NBA 2K26 and Madden NFL 26. Other titles like Minecraft, Battlefield 6, and EA Sports FC 26 also held strong positions in the top 20. Notably, Code Vein II made its debut in the top 20, while Final Fantasy VII: Remake saw a significant surge in sales following its release on Xbox Series and Switch 2. Fallout 4 also experienced a notable rise, likely due to its discounted availability on Steam coinciding with the release of Season 2 of the Fallout TV series. Outside the top 20, several games saw impressive sales boosts. Fable Anniversary's sales were fueled by hype surrounding its upcoming release, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons' popularity was attributed to its Switch 2 launch and ongoing DLC releases. These trends highlight how legacy titles

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Originally published on IGN on 2/20/2026