Pricey consoles: US hardware sales hit weakest August in 13 years
After several price rises for the PS5, Xbox and Switch 2, US console sales have slumped, according to Circana. Scarce memory chips are also to blame.
Symbolic image · Photo: JDC808 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
US unit sales of games consoles and other gaming hardware fell 15 per cent year on year in August – the weakest August in 13 years. That is according to figures from market researcher Circana reported by Yahoo Finance. Hardware spending fell 3 per cent in August and is down 11 per cent year to date.
The decline follows steep price increases: in the US, the PS5 Digital Edition now costs $599, up from $399 at launch, and the PS5 Pro $899 instead of $699. The Xbox Series S rose from $299 to $499, the Series X to $749, and the Switch 2 from $449 to $499. Manufacturers cite higher component costs, especially for memory and storage, as well as earlier tariffs.
"We are seeing the negative impact of those higher price points on the consoles," said Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. He added that some products are already becoming unavailable, and the PS5 Pro is very hard to find, he said. The industry hopes GTA 6 will boost console sales – but high prices could deter some buyers.