Price rises hit Sony's console sales, but 007 First Light and Switch 2 help US game spending to grow 3%

Image credit: Charles Sims via Unsplash

PlayStation 5 unit sales in the United States dropped 58% year on year in May, according to Circana, reaching their lowest May total since 2000. Xbox unit sales, meanwhile, reached their lowest ever recorded figures for May, dropping 12% year on year.

The PS5 saw a price increase in April, with the cost of a standard console rising by $100 to $649.99, while the PS5 Pro increased by $150 to $899.99.

Despite the slow month for Sony and Microsoft, US hardware spending actually rose in May, up 38% year on year to $249 million, thanks in large part to the Switch 2. Circana says Nintendo's console is now the second fastest selling video game hardware in the US since tracking began in 1995, behind the Game Boy Advance. The firm says the Switch 2 now has an install base of 5.9 million units in the country.

Overall, US video game spending in May increased by 3% year on year, reaching $4.2 billion. Year to date spending is also up 4% on the previous year, reaching $23 billion.

In terms of game sales, 007 First Light was the leader – it is currently the fourth best-selling game of 2026 in the United States, behind Resident Evil: Requiem, Crimson Desert, and MLB: The Show 26, and just ahead of Forza Horizon 6 in fifth place.

Here are the projected top 10 best-selling games from the period of May 3 to May 30, 2026, data courtesy of Circana:

Rank	Last month rank	Title
1	NEW	007 First Light*
2	NEW	Forza Horizon 6^
3	NEW	LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight^
4	NEW	Subnautica 2*
5	1	Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream*
6	4	MLB: The Show 26^*
7	3	Crimson Desert*
8	NEW	Yoshi and the Mysterious Book*
9	12	Call of Duty: Black Ops 7^
10	10	Mario Kart World*

^ Includes Digital Point of Sale Actuals, * Includes Digital Sales Projections

Mentioned in this article