Spending on physical game disks has fallen to the lowest recorded level since tracking began in 1995, according to a new report documenting a drastic slump in the console market. U.S. console hardware sales fell 39% by unit volume in July against a year earlier, while the average price paid for a new system rose 16% to $542, according to Circana data posted by analyst Mat Piscatella on August 20.
Dollar sales came in at $282 million, down 29% and the lowest July total since 2020, with Piscatella tying the drop to console price increases caused by the RAM and component crisis, a link Circana hadn't made in its monthly reporting before. PlayStation 5 units fell 6%, Xbox Series units fell 18%, and Switch 2 units fell 51%, with Nintendo's own $50 price increase still to come on September 1.
