U.S. Xbox and PlayStation hardware unit sales were both down year over year through August 2026, while average prices paid for both brands rose. Circana’s figures show Xbox down 33% and PlayStation down 25% for January–August; they do not establish that price increases alone caused the declines.
What the latest U.S. sales figures show
Circana’s U.S. retail tracking shows that, for January through August 2026, Xbox hardware unit sales fell 33% year over year and PlayStation hardware unit sales fell 25%. These are console units sold, not revenue or total consumer spending. Xbox was at an all-time low for the comparable year-to-date period in Circana’s tracking, while PlayStation was at its lowest point since 2013. Circana’s video-game market reporting provides the broader context.
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The figures describe different historical lows: the Xbox comparison is an all-time low for that comparable January–August span, while the PlayStation result is its lowest since 2013. Neither means that sales were lower than every other period or that the platforms had identical trajectories.
Why the May and August numbers differ
A May snapshot looked especially severe for PlayStation: PS5 unit sales were down 58% from May 2025, compared with a 12% year-over-year decline for Xbox. Those are single-month comparisons, not the January–August results. In August year to date, PlayStation’s decline was 25% and Xbox’s was 33%, so the platform with the larger drop depends on which period is being compared. GameSpot’s account of Circana’s May 2026 data reports the monthly figures.
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Keeping the periods separate matters: a single month can move sharply and does not replace a multi-month measure. These numbers also do not show how many dollars consumers spent; a higher average price can coexist with fewer units sold.
Prices rose while unit sales fell
In May 2026, average hardware prices were reported up 33% year over year for PlayStation and 22% for Xbox. For the separate January–August 2026 year-to-date period, the average paid for a PlayStation console was $597, up 20% year over year; Xbox’s average was $529, up 26%. The May percentages and August year-to-date averages use different time windows and should not be combined as if they were one price trend. GamesRadar+’s coverage of Circana’s August commentary gives the year-to-date averages.
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For context, an October 11, 2026 report listed U.S. prices of $499.99 for Xbox Series S 512GB, $599.99 for Xbox Series S 1TB, $749.99 for Xbox Series X Digital, $799.99 for Xbox Series X with disc drive, $599.99 for PS5 Digital, $649.99 for PS5 with disc drive, and $899.99 for PS5 Pro. These are prices reported on that date, not a guarantee of current pricing or stock. Tom’s Hardware’s October 11 report lists those amounts.
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Circana’s July 2026 report showed U.S. video-game hardware spending of $282 million, down 29% year over year. Unit sales fell 39%, while the average selling price rose 16% to $542. In that month, PS5 unit sales were down 6%, Xbox Series down 18%, and Switch 2 down 51% versus July 2025. Circana noted that the record-setting Switch 2 launch in June 2025 continued to affect year-over-year comparisons; a large launch-period baseline can make a later year’s percentage decline look especially steep.
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Circana described July hardware spending as the lowest July total since 2020, but that comparison also needs context: 2020 hardware sales were shaped by pandemic-era sellouts and logistics problems. So neither the July all-hardware decline nor the platform-specific figures should be read without the unusual comparison year in view. Circana also points to higher hardware prices related to the RAM and component crisis as a significant factor affecting PS5 and Xbox Series selling rates.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do price hikes explain the sales declines?
Higher prices and falling unit sales happened at the same time, and Circana video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella said, “Price sensitivity is becoming a real problem.” That is an analyst’s interpretation of the market, not a measured breakdown of how much of the decline was caused by price. The available figures do not isolate the effect of price changes from component constraints, product timing, or the difficult year-over-year comparison created by the Switch 2 launch.
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Piscatella also called the U.S. hardware market “the most precarious position since the early 80s.” That is his assessment of the market’s condition, not a Circana sales statistic. Together, the data and comments support concern that higher prices may be testing demand, but they do not prove that either console maker’s price increases caused a specific share of lost sales.
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