Circana analyst Mat Piscatella reports the US console market is in its most precarious state since the early 1980s. August 2026 hardware unit sales fell 15% year-over-year to 559,000 units, marking the lowest August since 2013 as overall spending hit $4.3 billion.
Year-to-date hardware units dropped 33% for Xbox and 25% for PlayStation. While Nintendo Switch 2 leads the 2026 market, Xbox hit an all-time low and PlayStation reached its lowest point since 2013. Average hardware prices rose to $541 from $476 a year ago.
Rising costs define the slump, with the average Xbox price hitting $529 and PlayStation reaching $597. Despite Sony's April price hikes, PS5 dollar sales grew 17% in August. Industry attention now turns to the November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.