Fresh data from Circana's US Retail Tracking Service, shared by analyst Mat Piscatella, shows a sharp slowdown in console spending. For the 2026 year-to-date period ending in August, Xbox hardware unit sales are down 33% year over year, their lowest level since the platform launched nearly 25 years ago. PlayStation 5 sales are down 25%, making this the weakest year for the platform since 2013, when shoppers were already waiting for the PS4.
Piscatella attributes the downturn largely to price sensitivity. Microsoft has raised Xbox prices three times in the past two years; the disc-equipped Xbox Series X now costs $799.99, while the Series S starts at $499.99. Sony has also increased PS5 prices by $100 to $150, putting the digital PS5 at $599.99, the disc version at $649.99, and the PS5 Pro at $899.99. The PlayStation Portal now costs $249.99, up $50 from launch.
Even used hardware has felt the pressure: refurbished PS5 Slim consoles start at $399, and GameStop is listing refurbished PS5 Pro units at $1,399, roughly $500 over MSRP. Piscatella says the US hardware market has not been this precarious since the early 1980s. The November release of GTA VI and the holiday season could bring some recovery, but the report offers no guarantee.