As of August 2026, year-to-date sales of Xbox and PlayStation consoles in the US fell by 33% and 25% respectively compared to the previous year, while the average purchase price for new consoles reached historic highs for both brands. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella believes the US console hardware market is experiencing a period of vulnerability unseen in decades.
Retail tracking data released by Piscatella shows that year-to-date Xbox console hardware sales in the US are at historic lows, while PlayStation sales have dropped to their lowest level since 2013. During the same period, the average price paid by US consumers for a new Xbox console was $529, a 26% increase year-over-year; for PlayStation, it was $597, up 20% year-over-year.
At the time, the PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X with disc drive, and base model Switch 2 were priced at $900, $800, and $500 respectively. Memory shortages and tariff-related costs also contributed to the price increases.
Piscatella believes consumers are becoming increasingly price-sensitive, and the current fragility of the US console hardware market is rare since the early 1980s. He stated that major game releases in November might help mitigate the decline in sales, but the effect will still depend on product availability and pricing.