Circana’s latest US market data shows the PlayStation 5 now slightly ahead of the PlayStation 4 at the same point in their life cycles. Through month 71, PS5 sits about 1% higher, at roughly 30.48 million units sold in the US versus 30.10 million for PS4.
It’s a narrow lead, and it came in harder conditions. PS5 had to push through the COVID supply crunch and much steeper prices. By late 2026, a standard PS5 cost about $650, and a PS5 Pro was close to $900. At that same stage, PS4 bundles were selling for around $200, which works out to roughly $270 in today’s dollars.
The near-term trend doesn’t look as strong. From January through September 2026, PS5 unit sales were down 3% against where PS4 stood in 2019, and down 4% against PS3 in 2012. Even so, September 2026 itself was a good month: unit sales rose 22% year over year, while dollar sales climbed 43%, again based on Circana’s numbers.
If you pay close attention to console sales, this is one to keep an eye on. PS5 has managed to stay in front even without the kind of exclusive lineup that made PS4 such an easy sell. Sony has leaned more on cross-gen releases this time, and PC versions have followed later on in a way PS4 didn’t really have to deal with. Grand Theft Auto 6 is still out there too, and if it lands before year-end, it could open that gap up further.
Microsoft’s side of the market looks much rougher. Through month 71, Xbox Series X/S trails Xbox 360 by 35% and Xbox One by 28%. On a 2026 year-to-date basis, the drops are even steeper: down 81% against Xbox 360 and 45% against Xbox One, according to Circana.
All of the latest US hardware numbers come from Circana’s market tracking.
Author: Jesús Bosque
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