High console prices are expected to plummet sales in 2026

The platform owners seem to exist in an alternate reality by disregarding the financial barrier they have imposed on consumers lately. The consultancy report highlights that the casual buyer faces an obvious dilemma: they either encounter obsolete devices or new hardware that costs a fortune without a significant number of major exclusive releases to justify spending. To worsen the competitive landscape, the Xbox Series X currently carries a higher price tag than the PS5, putting Microsoft's console in an even more precarious market position and challenging recovery prospects in the coming months.

The detailed forecast suggests around 33.9 million devices will be shipped to global retailers throughout this year, marking a significant 19.5% decrease in console sales. This cold shower was revealed in a recent survey by S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan, featured on the portal GI.biz. The study warns that the recent surge in device prices is deterring most of the gaming community, completely negating the extra 13.5% growth boost achieved in 2025 due to the much-anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. It's disheartening to realize that, instead of easing access to the current generation, manufacturers prefer to make our hobby more exclusive by charging prohibitive amounts.

Not even the return of major brands or the biggest release of the decade seem sufficient to stop the industry's hemorrhage in the short term.

The analysis forecasts that the PS5 user base will continue to shrink throughout 2026, a downward trend that will persist even with the imminent arrival of GTA 6 in the market. On the side of the Japanese giant from Kyoto, estimates predict a nearly 17% drop in the commercial performance of the Nintendo Switch 2, driven by both an unfavorable price hike in September and the absence of the anticipated title Pokémon Winds and Waves from the year-end catalog. Without new blockbuster games for Christmas and with prices sky-high, it's truly difficult to persuade the public that investing in new hardware is worth it right now.

Looking ahead, the agency projects that the rock bottom will be reached in 2027, when store shipments should register another drop, hitting about 27.1 million units distributed. The expected improvement in the supply chain and the scarcity of electronic components is likely to only take effect around 2028, a period when analysts predict Sony and Xbox will launch their new platforms on the market. However, brace yourselves: the forecast is that these future consoles will hit stores priced between a staggering 600 and 800 euros, starting a slow recovery expected to reach 37.4 million units shipped by mid-2030.