Players’ spending patterns are becoming increasingly polarized, according to veteran industry analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana. On a recent podcast, Piscatella explained that AAA games, now commonly priced at $70, continue to sell well to more “affluent” gamers, while those with less disposable income are turning to mobile and free-to-play titles.
On Kyle Bosman’s Delayed Input podcast, Piscatella noted, “Because of changes in the marketplace, for example, things becoming more expensive, particularly in everyday spending categories like food and housing… there’s been a separation in the spending patterns of folks.” He added, “The people who are more affluent, they have more money, they’re continuing to spend as if prices haven’t really changed. They’re spending more, getting less, and they just keep going, because they might not even realize the prices have gone up in some areas.”
Piscatella describes this behavior as part of a phenomenon called “quiet inflation,” where consumers with more money don’t fully notice rising costs of certain products, especially items bought infrequently like consoles or high-priced games. He said, “People just don’t realize because they’re not paying attention.” These consumers have no trouble spending $70 on games like Ghost of Yotei, paying more for a PS5 than before, or even buying a Switch 2.
Meanwhile, players facing tighter budgets—struggling with rent or rising grocery costs—are gravitating toward more affordable gaming options, such as free-to-play games like Roblox or Fortnite. They are also more likely to use subscription services like Game Pass and are pulling back on buying games at full retail price, especially AAA titles.
Piscatella also highlighted that membership services like Nintendo Switch Online and PlayStation Plus have seen strong growth in 2025. Interestingly, even older MMOs, such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, have benefited from this shift in spending patterns.
