Retro Gaming Market Still Alive in 2025

Titles for legacy consoles like PlayStation 2 (PS2), PSP, and Nintendo DS continue to sell in the U.S. market this year. According to a report by Italian gaming outlet EveryEye, over 175 retro games sold at least one copy during 2025.

Notably, Nintendo DS games led with 44 titles sold, followed by PS2 with 40 titles. Many of these are games that have been on the market for over 20 years.

Titles That Keep Selling

The list of sold games includes acclaimed titles such as Nintendo DS's "Animal Crossing" and "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story", and PS2's "Kingdom Hearts 2" and "Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence".

Even older platforms like Game Boy Color and GameCube appeared on the sales list. Game Boy Color, a handheld console released in 1998, was identified as one of the oldest platforms in this survey alongside PS2.

Nintendo 3DS ranked third with 37 titles sold, including later releases like "Metroid: Samus Returns" and the "Etrian Odyssey" series, which continue to see steady sales.

Why Are People Still Buying?

The continued sales of retro games stem from several factors.

First, nostalgia for the pre-digital gaming era. Demand remains from collectors who want to own physical game cartridges and discs. PS2 and Nintendo DS represent the nostalgic platforms for gamers currently in their 20s and 30s.

Second, some titles are only playable in their original format without remasters or remakes. Many games haven't been ported to modern platforms due to licensing issues or developer closures.

Third, the thriving used hardware market plays a role. As the best-selling home console in history (over 150 million units sold), PS2 systems are easy to find secondhand, and game software remains readily available.

The Future of Retro Gaming

This sales data underscores the importance of game preservation. As digital-only games proliferate, more titles face permanent loss when services shut down.

Physical media, by contrast, continues to be traded and played even 20 years later. As the gaming industry shifts toward subscription services and cloud gaming, this retro sales phenomenon highlights the enduring value of physical media.

Multiple international outlets have characterized this trend as "a part of gaming history that remains alive and well." While retro console emulation and official re-releases are likely to increase, demand for original hardware and software appears set to continue for the foreseeable future.