Console and accessory sales continue to decline as May saw 13% lower investments

The downward trend in video game console and accessory spends continues as latest data from an analysis firm shows notably lower sales numbers for May compared to last year. Among the purchased consoles, the PS5 retains its top spot but both Xbox Series and the original Switch did not fare too well.

The data comes from Circana via ‪Mat Piscatella on BlueSky and it shows video game hardware spending fell 13% in May this year compared to last year. It went from $197 million to $172 million, and this has been a trend for past several months. However, the PS5 (Buy on Amazon) still saw a 3% growth in sales and was the best-selling hardware both in terms of units and dollars. Sales for Xbox Series consoles and the original Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, dropped by 30% and 44% respectively.

As for accessories, there was a 6% decline in sales going from $165 million to $154 million. The PS5 Dual Sense Wireless Controller in Midnight Black (Buy on Amazon) was the best-selling accessory in both units and dollars.

Circana also shared data for the year till date (YTD) but noted that January 2024 was a five-week tracking period while January 2025 was a four-week period. During this time, video game hardware sales dropped 26% while accessory sales dropped 12%.

This continued decline suggests the PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch consoles are reaching end of life. The PS5 and Xbox Series consoles were released in 2020 while the original Switch came out in 2017. There is a new Switch in the market, but the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles seem to be due for a generational upgrade.

Looking at the best-selling video games for May, Elden Ring: Nightreign and Doom: The Dark Ages took the first and second spot respectively while The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, the best-seller from the previous month, fell to number four. The recent hype around Star Wars: Battlefront II has resulted in increased sales as well, as the game came up from 135 to number 12 in May.