- Xbox Series X|S is only expected to ship 2.5 million units this year from 3.2 million in 2025.
- PlayStation 5 is expected to ship 13.2 million units this year, declining by 15.2% YoY.
- Overall global console shipments are expected to decline by 19.5% this year, dropping to 33.9 million units sold.
The gaming market has suffered significantly since late last year after the memory apocalypse made RAM increasingly scarce. The prices of components are also at an all-time high, which is directly affecting the shipment of PCs.
Analyst firm S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan now forecasts that consoles are also affected more severely than we thought after facing several price hikes.
The Xbox Series X|S is only expected to ship 2.5 million units in 2026, down from 3.2 million last year. For comparison, PlayStation 5 is predicted to sell at least 13.2 million units in 2026, falling from 17.1 million sold last year.
Why it matters: The Xbox hardware presence is dropping to historic lows, which could influence how it approaches Project Helix in the future. Both the PS5 and Switch 2 are bearing the memory crisis storm much better.
As per GamesIndustry, the analyst firm clarifies that Xbox console shipments will wind down to zero rapidly after the 2.5 million mark. Its Q1 2026 shipments fell below the 500K mark for the first time in dataset history.
This decline is attributed to an uneven first-party lineup, a subscription-first strategy failing to boost console sales, and a price disadvantage over the PS5.
Meanwhile, Analyst Neil Barbour expects Project Helix to appeal to a narrower enthusiast audience if it launches at a higher $1000+ price point. It is forecasted to sell around 2 million units at launch, scaling up to 7.3 million only by 2030.
The PS5 is on a decline because it’s hard to convince buyers to pay more for a six-year console, and even GTA 6 is not guaranteed to offset the price problem.
The analyst also expects the PS6 to come out in 2028 and sell 4 million units in its first year. The PS6 shipments are expected to rise to 17.2 million by 2030.
Lastly, global console shipments are expected to fall by 19.5% in 2026, dropping to 33.9 million units sold. The decline reverses 2025’s 13.5% growth, driven by the Switch 2 launch. Global shipments will decline further to 27.1 million in 2027.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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