PlayStation sales hit 26-year low after price increase

PlayStation and Xbox console sales have fallen to their lowest level ever, reaching a 26-year low after the PlayStation 5 price increase.

Sony's decision to increase the price of the PlayStation 5 and its other consoles appears to have already had serious consequences for sales. According to the latest data from the UK market, PlayStation console sales during May dropped to their lowest level for that month in the last 26 years. Honestly, that represents one of the biggest declines in the brand's history.

The drop in sales came shortly after Sony raised the price of the PlayStation 5 and its other consoles across multiple markets at the beginning of April 2026. Even though there was a short-lived spike in sales right before the price increase, as buyers rushed to get the console at the old price, interest dropped dramatically by May.

This marks the weakest May for PlayStation consoles since 2000.

Fans are generally not surprised by these results at all. On social media, many point out that it was very expected that higher prices would push away a good number of buyers, especially with the console entering its sixth year on the market. Some fans, however, believe that sales will recover once Grand Theft Auto VI arrives, regardless of its price or the price of the console.

By increasing the prices of PlayStation consoles, Sony tried to respond to rising production costs, but the first results show that the move actually had a serious impact on sales.

Now all that's left is to see whether the arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI will bring buyers back to stores, or if high prices will continue to hurt PlayStation 5 console sales throughout the rest of 2026.