US console sales August 2026: what Circana reported
US console sales in August 2026 are in worse shape than at any point in modern memory, if you believe the analyst who tracks them. Circana's August 2026 report, posted on October 8 and 9, 2026, shows Xbox hardware units down 33% and PlayStation units down 25% for the year through August, compared with the same stretch of 2025. Circana's Mat Piscatella summed up the market in a Bluesky thread by saying it has not been in a more precarious position since the early 1980s, per the Video Games Chronicle and mxdwn.
The month itself was soft too. Total US video game spending in August fell 9% to about $4.3 billion, according to the GamesBeat write-up of Circana's data. Hardware units fell 15% to 559,000, the lowest August total since 2013. Hardware dollar spending fell only 3% to $302 million, and that gap between units and dollars is the story: fewer people are buying, and they are paying more each.
We are working from press coverage of Circana's figures and Piscatella's posts, not Circana's own report, which we could not open. Where outlets differ on a detail, we use only the figures that at least two of them agree on.
Xbox and PlayStation: the year-to-date damage
The year-to-date numbers are the clearest. Xbox hardware units are down 33% in the US, which Circana describes as an all-time low for the platform, and PlayStation is down 25%, its weakest position since 2013. Both Wccftech and mxdwn report those two figures the same way, and VGC adds that Circana ties the declines mainly to a significant rise in US console prices.
August alone was uneven. Wccftech and mxdwn both report PlayStation units down 11% in August, the lowest August since 2013, and Xbox units down 31%. Wccftech also reports that PS5 hardware dollar sales rose 17% in the month despite the lower unit count, which is what happens when a price increase lands on a shrinking buyer base. We would not read too much into one month, which is why the year-to-date figures carry more weight here.
Nintendo is the exception to the gloom. Circana says the Switch 2 led the US market in both units and dollars for August and for the year so far, with PS5 second and Xbox Series S|X a distant third. None of the coverage we opened gave a Switch 2 unit or dollar figure for August, so we cannot size the lead.
“The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware in the US reached an August record $541.”
Why average console prices keep climbing
Circana's year-to-date average price paid for a new Xbox is $529, up 26%, and for a new PlayStation $597, up 20%. VGC reports Piscatella calling both all-time US highs. Across all platforms, the August average hit $541 against $476 a year earlier, the previous August record. Piscatella's line, as VGC quotes it, is blunt: "Price sensitivity is becoming a real problem."
The cause is on the component side. VGC attributes the price rises mostly to shortages tied to AI data centers, and Wccftech points to rising memory prices as manufacturers prioritise data center demand. It also lists Sony's April increases: PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition up $100 each and PS5 Pro up $150 to $899.99. That detail comes from Wccftech, and we did not open a Sony source this run, so treat the exact figures as reported rather than confirmed.
The knock-on effect shows up in the used market. VGC links to a report that GameStop raised its used PS5 Pro price by 55% to $1,400 ahead of GTA 6, and Wccftech says GameStop prices used PS5 Pro units above new ones. Those are retailer pricing moves, not Circana data, but they show how tight stock has become.
What the spending numbers say about the rest of the market
Strip out hardware and the picture is mixed. Per GamesBeat, content spending (games, in-game purchases and subscriptions) fell 10% in August to $3.78 billion, while accessories rose 3% to $176 million and were the only category to grow. Year to date, total spending is down 3% to about $36.3 billion, content is down 2% and hardware is down 11% to $2.54 billion.
Within content, Wccftech reports mobile spending down 18% and console content down 7%, with PC content up 13% as the one bright spot. The GamesBeat report adds that physical game-key card purchases were up 631% and that Remote Play devices rose 39%, led by the PlayStation Portal. Both fit the same pattern: players are looking for cheaper ways to keep playing rather than paying for new boxes.
On software, NBA 2K27 took the top spot in August, ahead of Madden NFL 27 and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, per the GamesBeat list. For the year, Resident Evil Requiem and 007 First Light still hold the first and second places.
Can GTA 6 rescue console sales this November?
Piscatella does see one possible lift. VGC reports he said the November release of the "Big Video Game," which VGC identifies as Grand Theft Auto 6, might ease some of the declines. Wccftech gives the launch date as November 19.
The catch is supply. VGC notes that GTA 6's effect on November sales depends on product availability given the RAM and component crisis. It cites a major retailer warning earlier this year that GTA 6 could cause a Christmas console shortage, and an unnamed senior games buyer telling The Game Business that consoles are in shorter supply than usual and that GTA 6's release will "likely" cause stock to sell out. In June, VGC adds, Xbox's Matthew Ball said demand for the console exceeds supply.
That is a strange position for a market with falling unit sales: demand being suppressed by price, and supply being squeezed by components, at the same time. A blockbuster can make people pay up, but it cannot conjure chips.
Our take: buyers are the ones absorbing the squeeze
The honest reading is that the console business is shrinking in unit terms and holding its revenue by charging more. That works until buyers stop, and Circana's own wording suggests some already have. If you are buying for GTA 6, the data says to expect higher prices and thin stock rather than discounts, so buy a console when you see one at a price you can live with.
For the industry, the risk is less about a bad month and more about a smaller installed base for the next generation of games. We will update this story when Circana's September data lands.
Frequently asked
How much have US console sales fallen in August 2026?
Per Circana's August 2026 data, as reported by VGC and Wccftech, US Xbox hardware units are down 33% year to date and PlayStation units are down 25%, both compared with the same period of 2025. Total US hardware units fell 15% in August alone to 559,000, the lowest August since 2013. Hardware dollar spending fell just 3% to $302 million because buyers are paying more per console. Nintendo Switch 2 led the market in units and dollars.
What is the average price of a console in the US in 2026?
Circana's year-to-date average price paid is $529 for a new Xbox, up 26%, and $597 for a new PlayStation, up 20%, per VGC. Across all hardware, the August 2026 average was $541, an August record, against $476 in August 2025. Piscatella called both console figures all-time US highs. These are average prices actually paid, not list prices, so they blend models, bundles and discounts.
Why are console prices going up?
VGC reports Circana attributes the rises mainly to component shortages caused by AI data center demand, and Wccftech points to rising memory prices as manufacturers prioritise that demand. Sony raised PS5 prices in April, per Wccftech, including the PS5 Pro to $899.99. We have not independently confirmed each manufacturer's price list, so check the current price at the retailer or manufacturer before you buy.
Which console is selling best in the US right now?
The Nintendo Switch 2. Circana reports it led the US market in both units and dollars for August 2026 and for the year to date, with PS5 in second place and Xbox Series S|X a distant third. The coverage we opened did not publish Switch 2 unit or dollar numbers, so we cannot say by how much it leads, only that it is first on both measures.
Will GTA 6 boost console sales in November 2026?
Possibly. Piscatella said the November release of the biggest game of the year might ease some of the declines, and Wccftech lists the date as November 19. VGC cautions that the effect depends on availability because of the RAM and component crisis, and it cites retail buyers who expect consoles to sell out. A big game helps demand, but it does not fix supply.
Is the US console market really at its worst since the 1980s?
That is Circana analyst Mat Piscatella's assessment, posted on Bluesky and reported by VGC, mxdwn and Wccftech: the US hardware market has not been in a more precarious position since the early 1980s. It is an expert's judgement of the market's overall health rather than a measured statistic, and it rests on the unit declines for Xbox and PlayStation and on record average prices.