Gaming consoles are struggling in the United States. This summer, US Xbox sales fell to a record low, and PlayStation sales hit a rock-bottom level they haven’t seen since 2013.
The dip follows a downward trend that caught attention last holiday season, when American consumers cut console spending by 27% year over year, bringing the vertical to a 30-year low.
In August 2026, Xbox unit sales fell 33% year over year, and PlayStation sales declined 25%, according to the market research firm Circana. Console sales fell 15% from last year to 559,000 units—the lowest in 13 years. (It’s important to remember that figures cover the US market, not worldwide sales or company revenue.)
From Circana’s US Retail Tracking Service:
For 2026 YTD ending August, Xbox hardware unit sales are down 33% versus a year ago in the US, while PlayStation hardware units are 25% lower.
Xbox YTD US hardware unit sales are at an all-time low, while PlayStation is at lowest point since 2013.
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) October 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Rising console costs likely contributed to this downward trend. The average price paid for a new console in August was $541, compared with $476 a year earlier. On Xbox consoles specifically, consumers paid 26% more this year than last; meanwhile, the average price increase for a PlayStation console between August 2025 and August 2026 was 20%.
Price increases have raised the cost of both consoles in the US. Sony set recommended prices of $649.99 for PS5, $599.99 for PS5 Digital Edition, and $899.99 for PS5 Pro, effective April 2. Microsoft raised US Xbox prices starting August 1 by $100 for 512GB models and $150 for 1TB models.
Is it a coincidence that PlayStation sales reached their previous lowest point in 2013, the year GTA 5 was released, and now they’ve hit it again just months before GTA 6 is expected to release? Maybe, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
“Perhaps the release of the Big Video Game in November will help ease at least some of these declines,” Mat Piscatella, Circana’s senior director and video game advisor, wrote on Bluesky. “But this will also depend on product availability given the RAM and component crisis. And pricing, of course.”
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