- Table of contents
- The Most Wished-For Video Game in Every U.S. State
- Closing Thoughts
- Methodology
Holiday wish lists are filling up faster than a download bar on release day, and gamers across the country must be buzzing with excitement. Everyone seems to have a favorite recently released video game, but which ones are at the top of must-play lists at the end of 2024?
To find out, we dove into Amazon’s “most wished for” lists for Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox games and then turned to Google Trends for a deeper look at the titles. Over the past 12 months, we tracked search interest to uncover which video games are populating nationwide searches.
Ready to see if your recent favorite is leading the charge where you live—or if your neighbors are playing something entirely different? Let’s press start on this ranking of the most wished-for video games in every U.S. state.
The Most Wished-For Video Game in Every U.S. State
To find out what gamers most want to find under the tree this year, we dug through Amazon’s “most wished for” video game lists to get an idea of what new titles are drawing the most interest across the country this holiday season.
Then, we did some research using Google Trends to find the games lighting up search interest—and will be lighting up screens—in every U.S. state. From superhero adventures to sports classics, here’s a breakdown of the titles that captured America’s imagination this past year.
Based on search interest, here are the games that came out on top:
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Most wished-for in seven states
Spider-Man fans are swinging onto Amazon wish lists all over the country. Known for its intense action and engaging storyline, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the most searched-for game in Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas. Interestingly, New York’s love for Spider-Man runs deep, likely due to the game’s setting in New York City itself.
Sonic Frontiers – four states
Sonic still races ahead in the hearts of many, topping wish lists in Arkansas, Kansas, South Carolina, and Virginia. Though there’s no particularly strong regional trend, Sonic’s enduring popularity proves that the blue blur still has fans from coast to coast.
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – four states
The power of Dragon Ball can’t be overstated, and it’s especially strong in the South. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO comes in as the most popular ‘wished-for’ game in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Maryland, a testament to the anime series’ multigenerational appeal and the recent revival of the franchise in new forms.
EA SPORTS FC 25 – three states
In the Northeast, soccer scores big with EA SPORTS FC 25 leading the pack in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. As soccer fandom grows, this title is proof that America’s love for the game is alive and kicking, particularly in New England.
MLB The Show 24, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Madden NFL 25 – Each popular in two states
Rounding out the list, these ‘wish list’ titles are also very popular in select states. MLB The Show 24 keeps the baseball dream alive in states like California, while Madden NFL 25’s popularity aligns with America’s love of football in Wisconsin.
From superheroes to sports simulations, gamers’ interests vary wildly based on many different factors. Our nationwide snapshot of gaming wish lists and search interest shows that each state has its own favorite—but if you’re planning on getting the gamer in your life a gift this year, you can’t go wrong with so many options to choose from.
Closing Thoughts
For many, video games are more than just a pastime—they’re a way to dive into new worlds, take on challenges, and enjoy a bit of friendly competition. Whether it’s the fast-paced action of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or the strategic play of EA SPORTS FC 25, every state has its favorites that make gaming time something to look forward to.
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Methodology
To determine the video games each state wants the most this holiday season, we created a list of 90 video games that appeared on Amazon’s most-wished-for lists for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox video games. We then analyzed the regional interest of each video game using Google Trends search interest over the past 12 months.
We compared the search interest for each video game against each other to find the top-searched (and, therefore, most wished for) video games in every state. We used search interest as an indicator of popularity for this study.
