Young Americans Are Significantly Reducing Their Spending on Video Games

Alright, let’s dive into this whole gaming thing. So, I came across this report—felt like I stumbled upon some kind of treasure trove of info about young folks and their gaming habits. Apparently, those between 18 and 24 aren’t spending as much on their Nintendo and gaming stuff anymore. Weird, right? The Nintendo Switch 2 just came out, and I thought everyone would be all over it. But no, there’s more going on.

So, here’s the deal: even though gaming’s been booming since the Switch 2 launch, there are other things on young folks’ minds. Stuff like student loans, credit card stuff…heck, even the job scene seems to be getting in their way. I mean, talk about a reality check.

And then, back in July—oh man, what a mess—Microsoft went and laid off tons of people in its Xbox game dev teams, like Blizzard and the folks behind Halo. Over 9,000 jobs just gone. They even canned some cool projects like Perfect Dark. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around why they did it. It’s not like people stopped playing— oh, wait, the money’s probably tighter everywhere.

So yeah, people are feeling the pinch. According to this Circana report I stumbled upon (thanks to some pro-tip from The Wall Street Journal), young spenders axed their gaming budgets by 25% in April 2025 compared to the year before. Like, quarter less spent? That’s some serious belt-tightening, especially when other age groups only dialed it back by, like, two percent. Guess those student loans are no joke.

Funny enough, it’s not just video games—they’re also cutting back on toasters and jeans. Who knew Xbox news was gonna hit me with life lessons? Oh, and Xbox raised their console prices, which, let’s be honest, isn’t gonna help anyone save up. Though, side tip for any gamers: you can snag The Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Game Pass instead of shelling out 80 bucks.

Anyway, this whole thing about tariffs and price hikes—what’s even happening there? Everything’s getting pricier, and everyone’s crossing their fingers for a break. Who knows how the rest of 2025 will pan out. Maybe people will start knitting or something instead. Or not. I wasn’t expecting to spill about the state of the economy today, but it got me thinking—which is rare, believe me.