Xbox Sales Plunge 27% as PS5 Surges 22% in the US

Xbox Series X|S sales fell 27% year-over-year in the United States in September 2026, while PlayStation 5 sales increased 22%, according to new figures from market research firm Circana.

Industry analyst Mat Piscatella revealed that Nintendo Switch 2 sales also declined 14% compared to September 2025.

The results mark another difficult month for Microsoft, with Xbox recording its lowest September console sales in US history, breaking the previous record low from September 2025.

Xbox continues to lose ground as PlayStation sales rise

Circana’s September 2026 report shows significant differences in console performance across the three major manufacturers.

• Xbox Series X|S: Sales dropped 27% year-over-year.
• Nintendo Switch 2: Sales declined 14% year-over-year.
• PlayStation 5: Sales increased 22% year-over-year.

The figures cover the US market only and do not represent worldwide console sales.

The decline also comes amid rising console prices and ongoing component shortages, which continue to put pressure on the gaming hardware industry.

Microsoft has faced similar challenges in recent months. An earlier report revealed that Xbox sales crashed 33% as the console reached a historic low.

Xbox hardware struggles continue as Microsoft shifts its strategy

While Xbox console sales continue to decline, Microsoft remains active in gaming through its software releases, subscriptions, and cloud gaming services.

However, tracking Xbox software performance could become more difficult. Microsoft has reportedly stopped providing Xbox digital sales data to Circana, meaning future industry reports may need to rely more heavily on estimates for the company’s first-party games.

The latest figures also arrive amid broader questions about Xbox’s future. Recent reports suggested that private equity firms considered acquiring Xbox for $150 billion.

Microsoft has also made changes to its subscription services, including introducing monthly Xbox Cloud Gaming limits across all Game Pass tiers.

For now, September’s results highlight the growing gap between Xbox and PlayStation hardware performance in the US, with Sony reporting growth while Microsoft continues to see declining console sales.

Via Pure Xbox