Xbox hit a sales record it never wanted

We’ve seen a lot of changes on Xbox over the past couple of years, with Microsoft raising console prices and bringing some of its biggest games to PlayStation. However, the latest US sales figures show that the Xbox has now reached a new record, and it’s not the kind of record Microsoft is going to want to celebrate. According to reports shared on Bluesky, Xbox hardware sales in the United States are down 33% this year through the end of August compared to the same period last year. This puts Xbox sales at an all-time high in the US, which is a big deal for a brand that has been around for almost 25 years now.

It’s not just that fewer people are buying an Xbox. People who buy one are also spending more, with the average price paid for a new Xbox reaching $529 so far this year. That’s 26% more than a year ago, and analyst Mat Piscatella even said that price sensitivity was “becoming a real problem.” We’ve already gone over some of the downsides of buying an Xbox in 2026, and price was high on that list even before Microsoft’s latest increase took effect. If you’ve been putting off buying a new console this year, you’re definitely not alone.

As for why fewer people are buying Xboxes, well, there are several reasons at play. For starters, Microsoft raises the price of its consoles quite often. In fact, the most recent increase took effect on August 1, and it was actually the third time in two years that Xbox prices had increased, with this cycle adding $100 to the 512GB models and $150 to the 1TB models. That brings the Xbox Series In its announcement, Microsoft said that storage and memory prices for consoles have increased by more than 2.5 times and that they expect them to double again by fall 2027. This means that we could even see another price hike before all is said and done.

Of course, higher prices aren’t the only thing that might make someone think twice about buying an Xbox right now. Microsoft has been bringing more of its games to other platforms since we first saw four Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch in 2024. Sony even announced last year that “Halo: Campaign Evolved” would launch on PS5 in 2026, which it did in July. On top of that, you can stream Xbox games to select smart TVs and Fire TV devices with a controller and a Game Pass subscription, so you don’t even need a console to play many of these games. If you mainly care about Xbox games and not the hardware itself, you may never need to buy an Xbox console in the first place.

The Xbox isn’t the only console in trouble right now, either. The same report shows that PlayStation hardware sales are down 25% this year, which would put Sony at its lowest level since 2013. Sony also raised its own prices in April, with the PS5 Digital Edition now priced at $599.99 and the PS5 Pro at $899.99. If you’re planning to go all out before prices rise again, you might want to consider whether the reasons why the PS5 Pro is actually worth $900 in 2026 apply to you; otherwise, the standard PS5 can still play games just fine.

There’s still “Grand Theft Auto 6” to look forward to, which is scheduled to launch on November 19. However, how well that bounces back will depend on overall industry availability and pricing, given the current RAM and component crisis, especially since some say the U.S. hardware market “has not been in a more precarious position since the early 1980s.” There is no doubt that this is an approximate view of things. If you’re considering getting a console for “Grand Theft Auto 6,” it’s probably worth keeping an eye out for deals before spending your hard-earned money.