Console Sales Crashed in May 2025

The decline in video game hardware sales, which has been ongoing since the first months of the year, continued unabated in May 2025. According to the latest data shared by Circana, console and accessory sales declined for the fifth consecutive month. This decline was primarily driven by the postponement of next-generation hardware investments and the tendency for users to settle for existing systems. According to the data, console sales in the United States fell by 13 percent compared to the same month last year, while accessory sales fell by 6 percent.

Console Sales Decline for the Fifth Consecutive Month

Total hardware revenue fell from $197 million in May 2024 to $172 million this year. The sharp decline in Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch sales was particularly striking. Xbox sales fell by 30 percent, while Switch sales fell by 44 percent compared to the same month last year.

PlayStation 5 was the only console unaffected by this downward trend. PS5 sales increased by 3 percent in both units and revenue. The PS5’s consistent performance demonstrates that Sony maintained its position despite the overall market decline.

The accessories market also experienced a decline. Sales fell from $165 million last year to $154 million. However, the most notable product in this segment was the midnight black PS5 DualSense wireless controller, which was the best-selling accessory of the month.

For the first five months of the year combined, console sales decreased by 26 percent, while accessory sales decreased by 12 percent. However, this situation may change with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in June. The extent of the next-generation console’s impact will become clear next month.

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