Look, let us be honest: PlayStation hardware sales in the US have reportedly plummeted to their lowest levels since 2013. Even when factoring in the twilight years of the PS5, this is a remarkably dismal figure.

Market research firm Circana dropped its latest US gaming hardware market sales trends report on August 9, estimating PlayStation hardware sales figures through August of this year. The results show that unit sales tumbled by 25 percent compared to the same period last year, marking the worst performance for the equivalent timeframe since 2013.

Back in 2013, Sony's PS3 was entering its seventh year on the market and effectively reaching the end of its commercial lifespan, with the successor PS4 launching in November of that same year. Fast forward to the present, and while the PS5 is roughly a year younger than the PS3 was back then, details on a potential successor like the PS6 remain completely under wraps. Rising component costs also mean that turning around a new console generation quite as quickly as before is hardly a walk in the park. Therefore, it is fair to say the PS5 is currently navigating its twilight rather than its final curtain call.

Alongside the slump in sales, hardware pricing has caught the attention of analysts. The average price of a PS5 sold in the US this year hit a staggering $597 (approximately 800,000 KRW), representing a roughly 20 percent bump year-on-year. This average selling price is calculated by dividing total revenue by units sold, meaning it does not imply that every single PS5 model officially retails for $597. Rather, shifts in the sales ratio between the standard model and the pricey PS5 Pro, alongside localized price adjustments, clearly pulled those averages upward.

During the August survey period, PlayStation hardware unit sales dropped by 11 percent compared to the same month last year, yet total revenue actually climbed by 17 percent. Fewer consoles were flying off the shelves, but consumers were shelling out more cash per unit, padding total revenues nicely.

Hardware blues are hardly exclusive to PlayStation, mind you. Over the same timeframe, US Xbox hardware unit sales cratered by 33 percent year-on-year. According to Circana, cumulative Xbox hardware sales for the year have sunk to their lowest point since the brand's inception. Average selling prices for the Xbox Series X and S also climbed by roughly 26 percent year-on-year, resting at around $529 (approximately 700,000 KRW).

Industry watchers reckon this general drift toward steep hardware prices will inevitably bleed into the next console generation as well. In response, Sony appears to be leaning heavily into services and content businesses targeting its existing user base rather than relying purely on hardware sales. In fact, the company recently skipped out on CES for the first time in 60 years, signaling a sharp pivot toward aggressively expanding content and IP ventures.