Through August 2026, Xbox hardware sales in the U.S. dropped 33% year-over-year, while PlayStation declined by 25%. Both platforms saw their average purchase prices hit record highs in the U.S. market. Xbox sales are at historic lows, and PlayStation has fallen to its lowest level since 2013.
The average price U.S. consumers paid for a new Xbox console this year was $529, a 26% increase year-over-year; the average price for PlayStation was $597, up 20% year-over-year. Analyst Mat Piscatella believes consumer price sensitivity is becoming an issue, but these figures alone do not prove that price is the sole reason for the sales drop.
There have been multiple console price adjustments this year: Sony raised the PS5 Pro price to $899.99 in April, Microsoft increased the Xbox Series X to $799.99 on August 1, and Nintendo hiked the Switch 2 to $499.99 in September. These price changes are also linked to shortages in memory and storage supplies.
In August alone, total U.S. console sales reached 559,000 units, a 15% year-over-year decline, marking the lowest August sales since 2013. The Switch 2 remains the best-selling console in the U.S. market for 2026 by both unit sales and revenue.
Piscatella predicts that the release of GTA 6 may ease some of the sales decline, but the impact will depend on console supply and pricing.