PS5 Beats PS4 While Xbox Series Plunges 81% in 2026: What 71 Months of US Console Sales Really Show
Six years after ninth-generation hardware first landed in living rooms, the commercial gap between Sony and Microsoft in North America has been quantified in stark detail. According to official Circana Retail Tracking Service figures shared on October 29, 2026 by Executive Director Mat Piscatella on Bluesky, the PlayStation 5 remains ahead of its predecessors through 71 months on the U.S. market, while Xbox Series X|S hardware sales have fallen sharply behind previous generations.
These numbers arrive less than 24 hours after Microsoft's Q1 FY27 Xbox financial results, which highlighted another quarterly contraction in hardware revenue alongside massive corporate capital expenditure shifts toward artificial intelligence.
PS5 vs. PS4 and PS3: Sony Holds Its Lead Through Month 71 Despite Higher Console Prices
When aligning U.S. hardware unit sales across their first 71 months on shelves (spanning November 2020 through September 2026 for current platforms), the PlayStation 5 is outperforming both of its immediate predecessors. Life-to-date unit sales for the PS5 in the United States stand +40% ahead of the PlayStation 3 at the exact same 71-month mark and +1% ahead of the PlayStation 4's historical pace.
Maintaining that lead is all the more notable given that both the PS3 and PS4 benefited from multiple aggressive price cuts by their fourth and fifth years on the market. By contrast, the PS5 weathered two years of semiconductor supply constraints followed by mid-cycle retail price increases, yet still managed to surge +22% in unit sales and +43% in dollar spending year-over-year in September 2026 on the strength of Marvel's Wolverine and mounting anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI.
Check Availability PlayStation 5 Slim Availability on Amazon→
Xbox Series X|S Trails Xbox 360 by 35% Overall and Plunges 81% in Year 7 Pacing
On the Redmond side, launch-aligned comparisons through Month 71 paint a far more sobering picture across U.S. retail. Cumulative Xbox Series X|S unit sales currently trail the Xbox One by -28% and sit -35% behind the Xbox 360 at the same 71-month milestone.
The divergence becomes even steeper when isolating Calendar Year 7 year-to-date unit sales from January through September 2026. While the PS5 is down just -3% compared to the PS4's January-September 2019 pace and -4% versus the PS3 in 2012, Xbox Series X|S unit sales during the first nine months of 2026 have dropped -45% compared to the Xbox One in 2019 and plunged -81% compared to the Xbox 360's monster seventh year in 2011, when sub-$299 bundles and Kinect drove massive late-cycle adoption.
Circana U.S. Hardware Breakdown: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S vs. Past Generations
| Current Platform | Historical Benchmark | Life-to-Date Units (Through Month 71) | Calendar Year 7 YTD (Jan-Sep 2026) | Digital-Only Hardware Share (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | vs. PlayStation 4 (2013 / 2019) | +1% | -3% | 27% (PS5 Digital Edition) |
| PlayStation 5 | vs. PlayStation 3 (2006 / 2012) | +40% | -4% | |
| Xbox Series X|S | vs. Xbox One (2013 / 2019) | -28% | -45% | 52% (Series S & Series X Digital) |
| Xbox Series X|S | vs. Xbox 360 (2005 / 2011) | -35% | -81% |
Supply Constraints or the $799 Price Tag: Mat Piscatella Pushes Back on Asha Sharma's Claim
The release of these historical benchmarks came in direct response to comments from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who stated that Xbox console sales remain constrained by supply with higher player demand than available units. Mat Piscatella immediately challenged the idea that inventory shortages explain the platform's U.S. trajectory, posting screenshots of widespread in-store retail stock across major American chains.
"While it may be technically correct that certain territories or regions may have spotty availability, the data I've seen do not suggest that stock has been the biggest driver of Xbox hardware performance. A contributing factor? Ok. Price is a much bigger one imo."
Mat Piscatella, Executive Director at Circana (October 29, 2026)
Across major U.S. retailers, every Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X configuration is currently available for immediate local pickup, including the 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition priced at $799.99 following Microsoft's hardware price hikes. Combined with a multiplatform publishing strategy that removes traditional hardware exclusivity, Xbox recorded its lowest September unit sales on record in the United States (-27% year-over-year), while the Nintendo Switch 2 continues to ramp up on its own offset lifecycle.
Check Availability Xbox Series X Availability on Amazon→
My Perspective
Hearing Xbox leadership tell investors with a straight face that hardware sales are only down because stores cannot keep consoles on the shelves honestly makes me smile. Back in 2011, six years into its lifecycle, the Xbox 360 was flying off shelves at $199 with a steady stream of console exclusives, whereas in 2026 American players are being asked to pay up to $799 for hardware whose biggest first-party blockbusters launch day-and-date on PC and rival consoles.
On the flip side, I am genuinely impressed that the PS5 has managed to stay 1% ahead of the PS4 through 71 months without a single permanent price drop since 2020. The ultimate stress test for current-gen hardware adoption arrives on November 19 with Grand Theft Auto VI, which will finally force the last holdouts still clinging to their PS4 and Xbox One consoles to upgrade their living room setup.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
