The US console {hardware} market has not been in a extra precarious place “because the early 80s”, in keeping with market analysis agency Circana.
Senior director Mat Piscatella shared the warning alongside the agency’s newest retail monitoring figures, which counsel that year-to-date by means of August, Xbox {hardware} unit gross sales are down 33% versus a 12 months in the past within the US, whereas PlayStation {hardware} items are down 25%.
The Xbox determine is an all-time low for the platform, whereas PlayStation is at its lowest level since 2013, in keeping with Circana. The decline displays a big enhance in console costs within the US, pushed principally by part shortages brought on by AI knowledge facilities.
In keeping with Circana, the typical value a shopper has paid for a brand new Xbox console in 2026 YTD ending August is $529, 26% larger than a 12 months in the past, whereas the typical PlayStation console bought for $597, 20% larger than final 12 months.
“Each costs are at all-time US highs. Worth sensitivity is turning into an actual downside,” commented Piscatella. “Maybe the discharge of the Large Video Recreation in November will assist ease not less than a few of these declines.”
Piscatella mentioned GTA 6’s potential impression on console gross sales in November will depend upon product availability, given the RAM and part disaster.
Earlier this 12 months, one main retailer warned that the discharge of Grand Theft Auto 6 might result in a Christmas console scarcity.
A senior video games purchaser for an unnamed retailer advised The Recreation Enterprise that the mixture of part shortages and value will increase means consoles have been in shorter provide than typical, and the discharge of GTA 6 will “doubtless” result in a scenario the place console inventory sells out.
Xbox chief technique officer Matthew Ball beforehand mentioned that the availability of Xbox consoles was already a problem.
“I can let you know definitively demand for our console exceeds the availability,” he mentioned in June. “We’re placing them in as many shops as attainable. We’re producing them as shortly as attainable. There’s a extreme limitation to how shortly we are able to do this, however it’s not a query of urge for food.”
