Ahead of a holiday shopping season packed with new game releases, Best Buy is making a pitch for gamers’ attention — and their next purchases.

The Richfield, Minnesota-based consumer electronics retailer is launching Best Buy Gamers, a free online platform that combines game reviews, personalized recommendations, deals and information about store events.

The launch comes as retailers compete for billions of dollars in holiday gaming purchases. New releases can lift sales but leave retailers struggling to match that performance a year later, making it all the more important to capture sales tied to the season’s hottest games and gadgets.

U.S. consumers spent about $13.6 billion on video games, consoles and accessories in November and December last year, according to industry tracker Circana. That accounted for roughly 22% of annual video game spending.

Longer term, the platform is an effort to make Best Buy part of the gaming experience, not merely a place to buy equipment.

“For many, gaming isn’t just about playing. It’s the excitement of following new launches, discovering what’s next and being part of the moments that bring gamers together,” Patrick McGinnis, chief revenue officer at Best Buy, said in a statement.

The platform launches Tuesday in a test phase on Best Buy’s website and app. Customers can create profiles identifying their preferred gaming platforms, devices and genres. It also will feature articles, reviews and videos — including content created specifically for Best Buy — through a partnership with gaming media company IGN.

It’s not the first time the retailer has made a play for gamers’ wallets. From 2011 to 2018, Best Buy ran a gaming subscription service called Gamers Club Unlocked.

Best Buy said Tuesday that more than 10 million gamers already shop with the retailer annually. Gaming was among the biggest contributors to comparable sales growth in the company’s February-to-April quarter.

In the following quarter, however, its gaming category declined compared with a year earlier, largely because Nintendo Switch 2 sales boosted the year-earlier period.

Many game makers also have begun phasing out physical copies of games or eliminated them entirely in favor of digital downloads. Some also offer video game subscriptions that give members access to a library of games without buying them individually.

That shift away from physical media has left retailers like Best Buy and Walmart looking for new ways to compete in the market.

For example, this holiday season brings a release with the potential to spur purchases beyond the game itself.

“Grand Theft Auto VI,” the latest installment of one of the top-selling game franchises, is scheduled for release in mid-November during peak gift-buying season. Its predecessor debuted in 2013.

Circana said in a research note earlier this year that purchase intent for the game was the highest it had recorded and that it could result in increased demand for other gaming-related purchases.

Other upcoming releases include “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4” and Nintendo’s remake of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.”

The retailer also has been expanding its gaming assortment and its efforts to reach players.

Its online marketplace, which allows third-party sellers to list products on Best Buy’s website, has broadened its selection of custom controllers, gaming chairs, desks, keyboards, monitors and headsets.

Those additions put it in competition with other retailers, including Minneapolis-based Target, which has expanded its gaming accessories. Target’s assortment includes “cozy gaming” products such as pastel-colored keyboards and desk decorations, along with more lower-priced options through its Heyday private label.

A 2024 YouGov analysis found 64% of American gamers cited price and quality when considering gaming accessories. Those came in ahead of brand, reviews or appearance.

Best Buy’s efforts also extend into games themselves. In August, it opened a virtual store inside Fortnite’s Drive City, a popular role-playing experience. Players can explore departments, complete a Best Buy quest and collect rewards. The virtual stores also include a Geek Squad area.

But Best Buy Gamers will be competing with services gamers already use.

For example, Nintendo’s free Nintendo Today! app delivers personalized updates, videos and other content about its games and characters. Steam, a popular tool among gamers, combines a digital game store with reviews, recommendations and ways to connect with other players.

Best Buy Gamers won’t offer an equivalent to Steam’s game-playing service. Instead, it will centralize the latest news from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft without jumping between each company’s platforms.

That breadth could make it useful to households with several devices or parents shopping for a player. An Entertainment Software Association survey found that 54% of adult players consult player reviews before buying a game, while 49% search forums or social media.

The broader market offers retailers plenty to compete for. For all of 2025, U.S. consumers spent $60.7 billion on video games. Hardware spending rose 9%, while accessory spending declined but still totaled nearly $3 billion.

Best Buy has also used major releases to turn that interest into store visits.

It held late-night openings for the Switch 2 last year and organized summer events where customers could try the console in mobile gaming trailers parked at participating stores.

The new platform will promote those kinds of events alongside its gaming coverage and offers. In the coming weeks, nearly all of Best Buy’s U.S. stores plan to open late for “Ocarina of Time.”

©2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.