Circana data revealed by analyst Mat Piscatella show that Xbox and PlayStation hardware sales in the United States reached low levels in 2026. Through August, Xbox units fell 33% year over year — the lowest level ever recorded for the brand in the country. PlayStation units declined 25%, the lowest point since 2013.
Prices at record highs
The average price paid for a new Xbox console in the period was $529, 26% higher than last year. For PlayStation, the average reached $597, up 20%. Both are historic records in the US. Piscatella highlighted that price sensitivity has become a real problem.
In August specifically, hardware unit sales fell 15% overall, with Xbox down 31% and PlayStation down 11%. Total hardware spending in the month was $302 million, 3% lower. Nintendo led in units and revenue despite a 15% drop.
Link to AI demand
The price increases are largely due to the scarcity and rising cost of memory components directed to artificial intelligence data centers. Piscatella warned that the US hardware market has not been in such a precarious position since the early 1980s. The launch of GTA 6 may ease some of the decline, but depends on availability and pricing — with memory reserved for AI, console production is limited.
Xbox executives had already pointed to multiplied costs for console storage. The situation affects the games sector in a year of major releases.
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the aid of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
