The latest report from market research organization Circana shows that U.S. players’ spending on game subscription services will increase significantly in 2025 compared with the same period last year. With game prices generally rising to $70 or more, subscription services like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus are becoming increasingly cost-effective. So far, this type of service has generated US$3.6 billion in consumption in the United States this year.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella pointed out that cumulative revenue from non-mobile game subscription services this year increased by 19% year-on-year. He said on the social platform: "So far, non-mobile game subscription spending has reached 3.6 billion US dollars, an increase of 19% compared with the same period last year."
In July alone, U.S. players spent $500 million on game subscriptions: "Total game content consumption in July increased by 4% year-on-year to $4.5 billion. The growth mainly came from mobile (up 7% year-on-year to $2.3 billion) and non-mobile subscription services (up 21% year-on-year to $500 million), offsetting a 9% decline in console game consumption." However, specific breakdown data has not yet been released.
Microsoft and Sony's subscription services continue to expand, and recent earnings reports from both companies reflect this growth. Microsoft CEO recently confirmed that Xbox Game Pass generated nearly $5 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year; Sony will earn nearly $1.2 billion from "network services" including PlayStation Plus subscription revenue in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
Subscription services have become a core part of the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems. In the future, the two manufacturers may further launch differentiated subscription plans to enhance service value and profit margins.