US hardware units are down through August
Circana reports US Xbox hardware unit sales down 33% and PlayStation down 25% for January through August 2026 versus the same period in 2025. Senior director Mat Piscatella places Xbox at its lowest year-to-date US total on record, with PlayStation at its lowest since 2013.
The figures count new consoles sold, rather than active players, game sales or total brand revenue. Setting the comparable 2025 period to 100 gives Xbox an index of 67 and PlayStation 75 in 2026. Those are calculations from the published percentages, not absolute numbers of machines.
The scope is US retail tracking. It does not establish matching declines in other countries or a worldwide demand comparison between the brands.
Record average purchase prices
Piscatella puts the average paid for a new Xbox console at $529, up 26% year over year. PlayStation’s average reaches $597, up 20%. Both are record US highs in Circana’s data.
Each figure combines purchases across different models and storage capacities. It is not the advertised price of a particular Series X, PS5 or PS5 Pro. The average can rise when prices increase or when buyers choose a larger share of more expensive models.
Our coverage of the Xbox console price increases provides context for the brand’s pricing changes. Circana’s averages serve a different purpose: describing what US buyers collectively paid rather than quoting one configuration’s retail price.
A November blockbuster is not a guaranteed recovery
Piscatella suggests November’s major game release could help, depending on hardware availability and pricing. The reference fits GTA VI, although he avoids naming it in that post. His warning about a particularly precarious market is an assessment of risk, not a forecast of an inevitable collapse.
A game can encourage console purchases while still meeting shoppers unwilling to accept the price or stores lacking the desired model. The published data do not isolate how much of the decline comes from price, supply, game schedules or buyers waiting for future releases.
Our PS5 and Xbox comparison for GTA VI starts with the features and costs of each option. These sales declines alone do not establish that discounts or shortages will follow.
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