November 2025 marked a significant downturn in the gaming industry, as hardware sales and physical game spending in the US hit their lowest levels in 30 years. According to Circana, only 1.6 million units of video game hardware were sold, a stark contrast to the 1.4 million sold back in 1995, reflecting a 27% drop in monthly hardware spending to just $695 million. This decline is particularly striking given that November is typically a peak month for sales, driven by Black Friday deals and holiday shopping.