PlayStation 5 leads PS4 in US sales according to Circana data

New market research from Circana indicates that the PlayStation 5 has outsold the PlayStation 4 in the United States when comparing the first 71 months of each console's lifecycle. The PS5 holds a 1% lead over the PS4 and a 40% lead over the PlayStation 3 during the same timeframe.

However, recent performance shows a slowdown. Between January and September 2026, PS5 sales were 3% lower than PS4 sales were during the equivalent period in 2019, and 4% lower than PS3 sales in 2012.

In contrast, Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S is underperforming compared to previous generations. Within the first 71 months, the Xbox Series X|S sold approximately 28% fewer units than the Xbox One and 35% fewer units than the Xbox 360. For the period of January to September 2026, Xbox Series X|S sales were 45% lower than the Xbox One in 2019 and 81% lower than the Xbox 360 in 2011.