While the PS5 Pro had a solid start in November for the United States, it’s seemingly unable to maintain that momentum. On Bluesky, Circana analyst and executive director Mat Piscatella says the console has “fallen behind” the PS4 Pro’s pace.
Though Sony announced 75 million PS5 units shipped as of December 31st, 2024 (which includes PS5 Pro consoles), it didn’t offer specific sales for its mid-gen refresh. As such, video game hardware spending in January 2025 dropped to $205 million, a staggering 45 percent lower than last year. It’s also the lowest total spending for game hardware since January 2020.
Piscatella also revealed that PS5 hardware spending dropped by 38 percent year-on-year. The Xbox Series X/S saw a 50 percent decline, while the Nintendo Switch’s spending fell by 53 percent.
You could justify the latter two since Xbox hardware has seen falling revenue for years, and the Switch is almost eight years old, with all eyes on its successor. For Sony, the Pro may not have provided the shot-in-the-arm that it expected. Time will tell, especially in the long term, so stay tuned for further updates.
January video game hardware spending dropped 45% when compared to a year ago, to $205 million. This is the lowest January total for video game hardware spending since the $131 million reached in January 2020.
Double-digit percentage declines compared to a year ago were seen across all major console platforms. PlayStation 5 hardware spending dipped by 38% year-on-year, with Xbox Series declining by 50% and Switch 53%.
PS5 Pro has fallen behind PS4 Pro's pace.Digital SKUs accounted for 49% of PS5 HW units in Jan and 88% of XBS units.
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