Mat Piscatella on Gaming’s $60B Market, GTA 6, Hardware Shortages & Game Pass | XEP Interview

Luke Lohr sits down with Circana’s Executive Director and video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella for a data-driven look at the state of gaming in 2026.

Despite U.S. video game spending approaching $61 billion, the industry feels unsettled. Piscatella explains why record revenue can coexist with market instability, why player growth has plateaued, and how attention is increasingly concentrated in a handful of live-service “black hole” titles.

The conversation explores:

• The impact of component and RAM shortages on console pricing and availability

• Why subscription growth is now focused on revenue per user rather than user growth

• Xbox hardware performance and Game Pass strategy

• The growing divide between affluent and price-sensitive players

• Why Grand Theft Auto VI could be critical to console momentum

• Discoverability challenges and storefront power

• Why CCU charts don’t tell the full story

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise.

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📅 Timestamps available on YouTube

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