Remember when PlayStation and Xbox had record-low hardware sales in the United States last August? Well, good news if you’re a PS5 fan, and not so much if you’re one of the rare Xbox aficionados. Dollar sales for the former grew 43 percent in September 2026 compared to last year, causing Sony’s dollar share in the market to peak at its highest since May 2025.
As a result, the PS5 topped unit and dollar sales for video game hardware last month. It also contributed to a 12 percent increase in overall spending year-over-year at $362 million, though total hardware sales dropped 3 percent. Year-to-date spending is still 9 percent behind 2025.
The news is less sunshine and rainbows for Xbox. While year-on-year spending on the Series X/S dropped 2 percent, unit sales fell a staggering 27 percent. The total Xbox “ecosystem” has also fallen to a new all-time September low, according to Circana’s Mat Piscatella, beating last year’s record.
As for the Nintendo Switch 2, it hung in there, with spending down 12 percent and unit sales down 14 percent year-on-year. You’d have to think it will see a much bigger boost in October and November with the upcoming launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, but time will tell.
