November 2025 marked a significant downturn in the gaming industry, as hardware sales and physical game spending in the US reached 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. This decline is particularly alarming given that November is typically a robust month for sales, driven by Black Friday and holiday shopping.