WINNERS & LOSERS: Everyone likely knew that the damage to unit sales from recent PlayStation and Xbox price hikes would be painful, but recent US market data indicates that last month was the worst May in 25 years for the two brands. Ironically, price increases, including those that came with the Nintendo Switch 2, actually led to an overall increase in spending.
Market research firm Circana's Mat Piscatella reports that May 2026 saw the lowest number of PlayStation consoles sold in the United States during any May since 2000, a few months before the PlayStation 2's launch. Meanwhile, Xbox unit sales experienced their worst May on record.
Sony and Microsoft recently introduced sharp price hikes for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X due to rising memory costs. Sony raised prices for PS5 models globally by between $100 and $150 in March, bringing the new standard price to $549 and an unprecedented $899 for the PlayStation 5 Pro. The result was a May sales decline of 58% year-over-year and a 43% drop in dollar spending. Likewise, Xbox consoles saw two hikes last year, which collectively brought them close to Sony's current prices. However, Xbox is expected to face a third price hike in August – reportedly the steepest yet – which would raise prices by another $100 to $150.
