In May, PlayStation 5 unit sales in the United States experienced a significant 58% drop compared to the previous year, marking the lowest May sales since 2000. Similarly, Xbox unit sales hit their lowest recorded figures for May, declining by 12% year on year.
During the same period, the price of a standard PS5 console surged by $100 to $649.99, while the PS5 Pro saw a $150 increase to $899.99 in April.
Despite the downturn for Sony and Microsoft, US hardware spending surged by 38% year on year to $249 million in May. This increase was largely fueled by the popularity of the Switch 2, which Circana reports as the second fastest-selling video game hardware in the US since 1995, following the Game Boy Advance. The Switch 2 now boasts an impressive 5.9 million unit install base in the country.
Overall, video game spending in the US grew by 3% year on year in May, reaching $4.2 billion. Year-to-date spending also saw a 4% increase compared to the previous year, totaling $23 billion.
007 First Light emerged as the top-selling game during this period and currently holds the fourth position for best-selling games of 2026 in the United States, trailing behind Resident Evil: Requiem, Crimson Desert, and MLB: The Show 26, and outranking Forza Horizon 6 in fifth place.
Here are the projected top 10 best-selling games from May 3 to May 30, 2026, as reported by Circana:
| Rank | Last month rank | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | 007 First Light* |
| 2 | NEW | Forza Horizon 6^ |
| 3 | NEW | LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight^ |
| 4 | NEW | Subnautica 2* |
| 5 | 1 | Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream* |
| 6 | 4 | MLB: The Show 26^* |
| 7 | 3 | Crimson Desert* |
| 8 | NEW | Yoshi and the Mysterious Book* |
| 9 | 12 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7^ |
| 10 | 10 | Mario Kart World* |
^ Includes Digital Point of Sale Actuals, * Includes Digital Sales Projections