While the PlayStation 5 was the top-selling item on Black Friday in the US this year, the overall market for gaming hardware is currently unstable.
A new report from Circana shows that spending on gaming hardware fell 27% compared to last year, with total console sales reaching only 1.6 million units.
That figure includes sales from every device maker, and marks the lowest November sales total since the days of the Super Nintendo and PlayStation 1 in 1995.
This year was tough for all gaming console makers. PlayStation 5 sales dropped by 40% compared to last year. Even with the release of the new Switch 2, combined sales of both Switch models were down 10% from Switch 1 sales in 2024. Xbox experienced a massive 70% decline, hitting its lowest November sales ever, and was surprisingly outsold by the NEX Playground, a standalone motion gaming device.
These sales figures are really bad news for all gaming console makers. While Sony might highlight the November launch of the PS5 Pro as a reason for their larger drop in sales, it won’t offer much reassurance.
The cost of new gaming consoles is the main concern for everyone in the industry. This November, the average price reached a record high of $439, which is 11% more expensive than last year.
Sony offered some Black Friday deals, but many of its discounts simply brought the price of the PS5 back to what it originally cost five years ago, following a period of price increases.
Back in 2018, a PlayStation 4 and the game Marvel’s Spider-Man together cost less than $200. This really shows how much more expensive gaming consoles are now.
Several things have caused this issue, including increasing prices for parts, taxes on imports, and the challenges of the economy recovering after the pandemic.
With many families finding it hard to buy groceries, now isn’t a great time for expensive game consoles – they cost more than ever before, so fewer people can afford them.
It’s still unclear how the industry will handle these difficulties. We should wait to see the December results before overreacting.
Because of ongoing RAM shortages and the risk of rising prices, the situation could get more difficult before it improves.
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2025-12-18 08:07