Who says Xbox is dead? Console sales double year-on-year as PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 falter
As next-gen plans hit a speed bump, Xbox Series X and Series S are making a comeback
Quick Summary
Xbox sold "more than double" the amount of consoles in the US last month, in comparison with the same period in 2025.
Meanwhile, both Nintendo and PlayStation suffered dips in their respective hardware sales.
Xbox is currently undergoing a reset which has resulted in a vast amount of jobs being lost across the business. It is also dramatically changing strategy – nigh-on reversing a decade of decisions to refocus the company and brand. And it seems that some of the endeavours are working.
It has been revealed that, in the US at least, sales of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles have "more than doubled" year-on-year.
In comparison, hardware sales for PlayStation and Nintendo have dipped – with the latter falling by 79%.
To be fair, that's understandable. The Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025 so the company reported a massive spike in sales as pre-orders were shipped and launch stock sold out quickly. The sales for June 2026 were always likely to be much lower.
More interestingly, perhaps, is that PS5 sales dipped by 19% YOY. But then, Sony did recently raise its console prices significantly. And the Xbox Series X/S equivalent price hike is yet to come into affect.
It'll occur in just over a week, on 1 August, so consumers could be snapping up the consoles before that happens.
The sales figures are also relative. Mat Piscatella of data firm Circana revealed on Bluesky that while Xbox performed better than many expected last month, it still sold fewer consoles that its rivals. The Nintendo Switch 2 continued to be the best-selling option, in both units and dollars earned, with the PS5 in second.
Uncertainty in the games business
Whatever the trends, the games market is still looking uncertain at present. When it comes to the next generation, at least.
Xbox has admitted that its Project Helix plans might have to change in the light of the ongoing components crisis. Its hope to launch a "premium" PC/console hybrid might have to be scaled back to remain affordable.
Meanwhile, Sony is said to have delayed the PS6 for similar reasons, and we all know what happened with the Steam Machine. While it seems to have found a market, it is undeniably overpriced for what you get.
And so it seems we'll see this current console generation continue for the foreseeable, which is good news for those who already own a PS5, Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series X/S. At least the games are still coming thick and fast.
