Nintendo Switch 2 Sales Drop in September as PS5 Sales Surge

Nintendo Switch 2 sales declined in September as PS5 hardware sales surged and XBOX console sales reportedly reached an all-time low.

Nintendo Switch 2 saw its sales slide in September 2026, with hardware spending and unit sales both down year-over-year. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 had a good month, bolstered by the introduction of Marvel’s Wolverine, while the XBOX Series consoles supposedly saw its lowest monthly sales on record.

According to research, Circana’s US market statistics show PS5 hardware spending was up 43% year-on-year, while spending on Nintendo Switch 2 and XBOX Series consoles declined 12% and 2%, respectively. Video game hardware unit sales were down 3% from September of the previous year overall.

Marvel’s Wolverine led the US sales charts for September, earning Sony its biggest launch-month dollar sales for a published game since Helldivers 2 back in February 2024. Its performance contributed to a bump in PlayStation 5 revenue, making September one of the strongest months for Sony hardware since May 2025.

The game's success was also seen in its global sales figures. Marvel’s Wolverine reportedly sold around 2.16 million copies globally in September, the second best-selling game for the month behind EA Sports FC 27. Eight of the top 10 best-selling games in the U.S. were new titles, suggesting a very busy month for the industry.

PS5 sales get a boost thanks to Marvel’s Wolverine; XBOX hardware hits a new low.

PlayStation performed phenomenally well, but sales of XBOX Series hardware remained weak. XBOX platform ecosystem unit sales decreased 27% year on year in September, apparently marking an all-time low. That’s a year better than the previous low. Nintendo also had a fall, with Switch 2 unit sales down 14% from September 2025.

The console did well in August, but the results for September suggest that recent price increases might have influenced customer purchasing decisions. Another important release, Fire Emblem Fortune Weave, is apparently number four on US sales rankings for September. The results were a welcome development for Nintendo, even as overall Switch 2 hardware sales fell.

Contributing to the Switch 2 delay was Nintendo’s price hike in September, which increased the single US retail price of the device to $500. Before the price hike, Nintendo had bundle deals with a game, enticing undecided buyers to buy the system before the price hike took effect.

The drop in sales in September may be due to the price increases of Switch 2.

This technique may have pulled demand into August when purchasers had more reason to buy the system. So the September fall could have been due to purchases made earlier, rather than a sudden fall in rates of interest. Something similar apparently happened in Japan after a Switch 2 price hike.

Sales surged in the run-up to the switch but then dropped in the weeks after, suggesting that higher prices can change buying habits for a short period of time. Electronics prices, in particular pressure on the memory market, have pushed up hardware costs. But it's not clear how much of the Switch 2's September fall was due to higher pricing compared to other market forces.

Holiday releases could rescue the Nintendo Switch 2 from its September slump. October and the holiday season may give a better sense of Switch 2 sales performance moving forward. Fans who have yet to upgrade to the newer console may be tempted by Nintendo’s reported Zelda-themed hardware edition and Ocarina of Time remake.

It’ll be interesting to see the holiday battle between Nintendo and Sony, especially as consumers gear up for the next big releases. Grand Theft Auto VI is creating a lot of hype, and it might be an interesting race between the two consoles to close the year.

Finally, the September numbers indicate a tough month for Nintendo and XBOX, while Sony had a big exclusive launch. Can the Switch 2 make a comeback? “It’s going to come down to price, future games, and customer demand during that all-important holiday shopping season.