Xbox and PlayStation Sales Fall as Prices Hit Records

U.S. sales of Xbox and PlayStation consoles fell sharply through August, while average prices paid for both reached record highs, according to Circana data shared by analyst Mat Piscatella. Xbox hardware unit sales were down 33% year over year and PlayStation sales were down 25%, putting Xbox at its lowest level in Circana’s U.S. tracking and PlayStation at its weakest since 2013. The figures cover 2026 through August. Over the same period, the average price paid for an Xbox was $529, up 26% from a year earlier, while the average PlayStation price was $597, up 20%. Both were all-time highs in the United States, Circana reported. Piscatella said price sensitivity had become a real problem and described the U.S. hardware market as being in its most precarious position since the early 1980s. The sales and price data show the declines and rising costs occurring together, but do not establish how much of the drop was caused by prices rather than other factors. August sales also weakened across the console market. Hardware unit sales totaled 559,000, down 15% from August 2025. The average price paid for hardware that month was $541, compared with $476 a year earlier.