May 2026 was a bad month for Sony and Microsoft in the United States, according to market research firm Circana — and a very good one for Nintendo.
PlayStation’s worst May since 2000
PlayStation 5 sales in units fell by 58% compared with May 2025, making it the worst May for PlayStation hardware since at least 2000.
The slump appears to be linked to the price increases Sony introduced in April. In the US, the standard PS5 rose by $100 and the PS5 Pro by $150. In Europe, the recommended price of the Digital Edition rose to €499.99.
Xbox at a record low
Xbox Series consoles also had their worst May since the brand launched, with sales down 12% year on year. The percentage fall was smaller than PlayStation’s only because Xbox was starting from a much lower base.
Microsoft had already raised prices in 2025 and has announced another global increase for 1 August.
Switch 2 leads the market
Nintendo’s Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the US in May, both in units and in revenue. Total spending on console hardware rose 38% to $249 million, driven mainly by the Switch 2.
The console has now sold more than 5.9 million units in the US in its first year, making it the second-fastest-selling console in the country since records began in 1995. Only the Game Boy Advance sold faster in its first year.
What it means
The figures show how sensitive buyers are to price at a time when consoles are getting more expensive rather than cheaper as they age — a reversal of the usual pattern, driven by higher component costs and trade tariffs.
For Sony and Microsoft, the challenge is to keep players interested in hardware that has become significantly pricier in the second half of its life cycle. For Nintendo, the Switch 2’s success confirms the strength of its formula: a hybrid console aimed at families and a broad audience, backed by its own popular games.
