"PS5 still led January 2026 in hardware sales in the U.S. despite people buying fewer PS5s than they did a year ago. Switch 2 was in second place, followed by Xbox Series X/S and PC gaming handhelds. Overall, hardware spending jumped 16 percent compared to January 2025, even as last-gen hardware declined. PS5 was down 17 percent year-over-year and Xbox Series X/S was down 27 percent."
"Recent earnings reports showed that Nintendo lost the holiday period worldwide to Sony as well. Despite Switch 2 surpassing Switch 1 sales on a time-aligned basis, it was beaten by five-year-old hardware. Maybe some of that was the big Black Friday price cuts that made a PS5 cheaper than a Switch 2. Maybe it was people gearing up for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 this year."
"And maybe part of it had to do with the Switch 2 missing a big exclusive to get people off the fence. Neither a 3D Mario nor a new Zelda have been announced yet and 2025's big seller, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, was available on the existing Switch. Things might only get tougher if and when Nintendo is forced to increase the price of the Switch 2 due to the ongoing RAM shortage, something new reporting and many analysts suggest is a forgone conclusion for 2026."
PS5 led U.S. hardware sales in January 2026 despite selling fewer units than a year earlier. Switch 2 finished second after nine months on the market, followed by Xbox Series X/S and PC gaming handhelds. Overall hardware spending in January rose 16 percent versus January 2025, even as last-generation hardware declined. PS5 unit sales dropped 17 percent year-over-year, Xbox Series X/S fell 27 percent, and the original Switch plunged 79 percent. Contributing factors include aggressive PS5 Black Friday price cuts, anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6, absence of major Switch 2 exclusives, potential Switch 2 price increases from RAM shortages, and recently struck-down import tariffs.
Read at Kotaku
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