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U.S. November Game Console Sales Sink to Multi‑Decade Lows as Prices Climb

Higher console prices driven by tariffs plus component costs curtailed holiday demand.

Overview

  • Hardware spending fell 27% year over year to $695 million, with 1.6 million consoles sold—the fewest for a November since 1995—as the average price hit a record $439, up 11%.
  • PlayStation 5 led in both units and dollars, Switch 2 placed second, NEX Playground ranked third in units, and Xbox Series ranked third in dollars.
  • Year-over-year unit declines were steep across platforms: Xbox Series down about 70%, PS5 down about 40%, and combined Switch and Switch 2 down around 10%.
  • Physical game spending dropped 14% to an all-time November low since tracking began, while accessories fell 13% to $327 million, led by a 19% decline in controllers.
  • Total U.S. video game spending slipped 4% to $5.9 billion as overall content rose 1% to $4.8 billion on subscription growth of 16% and mobile up 2%; Black Ops 7 topped November, but Battlefield 6 remains the year-to-date leader.