Xbox and PlayStation Experience Record Low Hardware Sales in May in the U.S.

May proved to be a strong month for video game sales, with five new titles breaking into the top 10 and an overall increase of 1 percent compared to last year. The Nintendo Switch 2 continued its impressive run, becoming the second-fastest-selling gaming hardware in U.S. history after just one year on the market.

Now, let’s take a look at how Xbox and PlayStation fared during this period.

According to the latest analysis, May 2026 marked the lowest hardware unit sales for Xbox in its history. PlayStation didn’t fare much better, experiencing its weakest May sales since 2000. The reasons behind this downturn are clear: the average price for new gaming hardware hit $502 in May, a 14 percent increase from the previous year’s $440. The PlayStation 5 saw a staggering 33 percent rise in average price to $672, while the Xbox Series increased by 22 percent to $524.

Surprisingly, these price hikes seem to be benefiting Xbox in terms of revenue, as spending on Xbox hardware rose by 7 percent year-over-year, despite a 12 percent drop in unit sales. However, PlayStation faced a more severe decline, with a 43 percent drop in spending and a dramatic 58 percent fall in unit sales.

I spoke with an analyst who noted that while Xbox’s revenue is up, the record low unit sales indicate a mixed bag of results.

On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch 2 dominated both unit and dollar sales, maintaining its position as the best-selling console of the year so far, with the PS5 trailing behind. The Switch 2 has sold 5.9 million units in the U.S. during its first year, making it the second-fastest-selling gaming hardware in U.S. history, just behind the Game Boy Advance. As we move into June, it will be interesting to see how the Switch 2 performs against its own first-year numbers, especially since its price will remain unchanged until September 1.

In terms of software, 007 First Light emerged as the top-selling game in May, leading in dollar sales and also topping the charts on PlayStation platforms. It has now become the fourth-best-selling game of 2026 so far. Following closely was Forza Horizon 6, which was the best-seller on both Xbox and PC, now ranking as the fifth-best-selling game of the year. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight took third place for May and is the seventh-best-selling game year-to-date, while Subnautica 2 landed in fourth for the month but didn’t make the year’s top 10.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book was the only other new title to break into the top 10, debuting at No. 8. It’s worth noting that the latest methodology includes projected sales for titles lacking complete digital data, which applies to several games this month, including 007 First Light, Subnautica 2, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Crimson Desert, and Mario Kart World.

Resident Evil Requiem remains the best-selling game of the year so far, followed by Crimson Desert.

I checked in with the analyst for any notable trends on the platform charts, and he mentioned that May was primarily focused on new releases. He highlighted that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle debuted at No. 11 on the Nintendo platforms chart, which he considered a solid start, while Directive 8020 launched at No. 16 on PlayStation and No. 12 on Xbox.

*Denotes games where some or all digital sales are projected by Circana