Most video game players treasure the end of the year, both to splurge on their favorite hobby and to spend more time in-game.

• Video game console sales are expected to be 1,040% higher during Cyber Week than the daily average from January-August, according to a September 2025 survey from Adobe. Game sales are expected to grow by 1,010%.
• Almost one-fifth (17.6%) of ecommerce holiday sales will be computers and consumer electronics, according to a May 2025 EMARKETER forecast.

For marketers, the holiday season means more receptive consumers and more opportunities to connect with gamers. Here's what marketers should know for Cyber Week and beyond.

A different kind of holiday

2025 has been a distinctive and challenging year for players, with ongoing tariffs that have contributed to consumer wariness and price hikes in the gaming space.

• For holiday shoppers looking for tech products and services, rising prices and tariffs are the top concern (52%) this year, according to August 2025 data from CNET.

The prices of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xboxes have all risen in the last few months, marking a bizarre situation for players who are used to prices falling as consoles age.

• Additionally, both companies have hiked the prices on their premium online game services, with Microsoft raising its highest Gamepass tier by 50%.

Additionally, this holiday season will be the first for Nintendo's new console, the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched in June. Shoppers will most likely splurge on new games for the system like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Get in the game: Marketers can play up gaming deals and value-based messaging to appeal to cost-conscious consumers. Meanwhile, knowing which games are poised to be best-selling gifts and marketing around those products can give advertisers a leg up in awareness, and potentially building trust with loyal players.

How players shop

Game-playing audiences are extremely engaged with the holiday shopping calendar.

• 84% of the gaming audience start holiday shopping at least a month before December, with 18% starting before October, according to a report from Activision Blizzard Media.

Players shop for a variety of people in their lives, particularly themselves.

• Over half (51%) of players shopped during the holidays for children in 2024, according to Activision Blizzard Media. Meanwhile, 48% shopped for their partners and 40% shopped for their parents.
• Across mobile, PC gaming, and console gaming players, 57% bought for themselves last holiday season, per Activision Blizzard Media.

Ready player two: Since gamers start shopping early, marketers should meet them where they browse and be ready with personalized products, discounts, and recommendations. Messaging should target this self-gifting group, as well as the people they shop for the most.

Gaming boom time

The end of the year also provides marketers with a unique opportunity to connect with game playing audiences, because players spend more time in-game during the holiday season.

• Some 80% of all players say they play the same amount or more over the holidays, according to Activision Blizzard's data.
• 57% of mobile players play daily over the holidays, per Activision Blizzard, as well as 35% of console players and 34% of PC players.

This increased playtime means marketers can make more headway approaching players in, or adjacent to games.

• Almost half (46.5%) of mobile players make a purchase influenced by what they saw advertised in-game, as detailed by Gameloft.
• Some 57.2% of mobile players are more likely to purchase from a brand that shows holiday-themed rewarded ads in games.

All aboard the battle bus: Since the end of the year gives gamers more time to play, marketers should join along. In-game activations, if done smartly, can create authenticity with players and appreciation for enhancing the experience. Additionally, positioning ads in gaming marketplaces or beside popular games can add a halo effect for brands, ingratiating them to discerning players.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.