PlayStation: Sony records worst console sales in 26 years

Sony and Microsoft are currently experiencing a dramatic decline in console sales. Demand for the PlayStation has actually reached an all-time low. Only Nintendo’s Switch 2 defies the negative trend.

Crash of numbers

In May 2026, the major console manufacturers experienced a historically weak month. Initially, figures from the United Kingdom showed that after a significant price increase in April, the PlayStation was anything but selling well. Now comes the data from the USA, which also looks bad. Sony recorded a real drop in sales of the PlayStation 5 of 58 percent compared to the previous year. That marks the lowest hardware sales for the Japanese company in May in over a quarter century. Sales of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles also fell by twelve percent.

Despite weak numbers from Sony and Microsoft, total revenue for gaming hardware manufacturers in the US market increased by 38 percent to $249 million (around €219 million). This is mainly explained by the success of the only remaining competitor. The Switch 2 continues to sell excellently and proves to be immune to the market trend. Nintendo’s hybrid console cushions the slump of competitors.

Price increases as the main cause

As the market research company Circana (via Matt Piscatella on Bluesky) reports, the price increases mentioned above are probably the main reason for players’ reluctance to buy. The average retail price for a console climbed to around $501 (around 441 euros) in May. This corresponds to an increase of 14 percent. According to the data, the price of the PlayStation 5 rose by 33 percent to almost 672 dollars (around 591 euros).

Console sales revenue price

Historically, manufacturers often subsidized their devices only to make up for the losses later through software sales. Microsoft has already announced further price increases for August. Since its launch, the Xbox Series X has struggled to build a broad base of users compared to the PlayStation 5. For the Redmond company, the current trend represents an additional strategic hurdle in the ongoing competition.

Software sales remain stable

Even though the hardware is weak, the month apparently still offered enough incentive for players to spend money. New titles such as 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6 and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight celebrated their release. However, the proceeds were not enough to offset the shock to the devices. Many consumers have apparently exceeded their pain threshold, so they are postponing the purchase of a new system. In addition, many may have struck shortly before the price adjustments. The next few months will show whether Sony in particular gets back on track and whether May 2026 remains an outlier for the Japanese. Some market observers are already assuming that the launch of GTA 6 will result in a number of new consoles being sold again.

Joshua Bato