In September, the US software market witnessed a surge in demand, driven by a string of successful new releases that made impressive debuts in the region. While hardware concerns may still pose some challenges, they seem relatively subdued in comparison.
According to data provided by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella on social media platform Bluesky, the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch experienced substantial, year-over-year drops in hardware sales in the United States for the month of September. The Xbox Series X/S experienced the steepest decline, plummeting by a significant 54%, followed by the PS5’s 45% drop, and the Nintendo Switch’s more modest 23% dip.
Whole hardware spending in the US plummeted 44% year-over-year in September, reaching a dismal $251 million – its lowest total for a September month since 2019. As of now, total outlays for hardware throughout the entire year of 2024 amount to a significant $2.5 billion, which has taken a downward turn
According to recent data, the PS5 emerged as the top-selling gaming console in terms of both unit sales and revenue for the given period, outperforming the Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
Interestingly, a significant 40% of the PlayStation 5’s US revenue in September came from its digital edition, while the overall digital market share in the region amounts to 18%. Meanwhile, on the Xbox front, Microsoft reported that 58% of its current-gen sales in September were driven by the Xbox Series X, which accounted for a significant 51% of its total lifetime sales.
