Xbox and PlayStation U.S. Sales Plunge as Prices Hit Records

U.S. video game console sales fell sharply through August 2026, according to analytics firm Circana.

Microsoft’s Xbox hardware unit sales fell 33% year over year, reaching an all-time low for the period. Sony’s PlayStation 5 unit sales dropped 25%, their lowest level since 2013.

The declines coincided with record-high average prices for both consoles. The average Xbox price through August was $529, up 26% from a year earlier. The average PlayStation price rose 20% to $597.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said “price sensitivity is becoming a real problem.” He described the U.S. hardware market as being in its most “precarious position since the early 80s.”