US console sales plummet 39% in July amid rising costs and record low game spending

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] · 2026-08-22 10:30

U.S. console hardware sales experienced a significant 39% drop in July, reaching their lowest point since 1995. This decline is attributed to rising memory and component costs, which have driven the average console price up to $542. Physical game sales also hit a record low, with spending falling to $85 million in July. AI

RANK_REASON Significant drop in console sales and spending, driven by industry-wide cost increases and pricing strategies. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.1]

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AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

US console sales plummet 39% in July amid rising costs and record low game spending

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Tom's Hardware TIER_1 English(EN) · Luke James · 2026-08-22 10:30

Spending on physical games falls to lowest on record since 1995 — US console sales plunge 39% in July as memory costs push average price to $542

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.

COVERAGE [1]

Spending on physical games falls to lowest on record since 1995 — US console sales plunge 39% in July as memory costs push average price to $542

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