The Nintendo Switch 2 is just over a year old, and in many ways, we're still learning what the handheld is capable of. Not just in terms of sheer power under the hood, but also its appeal across the globe. While the RAM shortage is hiking up prices of rival handhelds along with price increases for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo is forging a clear path ahead. In new data presented by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, we're getting a deeper look at just how popular the Switch 2 is overseas.
According to Piscatella's latest data thread on Bluesky, the Nintendo Switch 2 "was again the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars for May and 2026 year-to-date, with PlayStation 5 placing second across both measures and time periods." Not only is the handheld dominating the May hardware market, but the data also shows that its strong sales are hiding a sharp decline for PlayStation and Xbox.
Piscatella explains that overall hardware spending increased by 38% year over year to $249 million, largely thanks to Nintendo's new console. These sales are offsetting a 43% drop in PlayStation 5 hardware, as PS5 unit sales fell 58% after recent price increases. Meanwhile, Xbox Series console spending rose 7%, but total unit sales still declined 12%.
The slowdown is pushing both competitors to historic lows. Based on Piscatella's research, PlayStation hardware unit sales fell to their lowest May total since 2000, while Xbox posted its lowest May hardware unit sales since Circana began tracking the market in 1995. Even with those declines, the average price players paid for a new console reached a record $502 in May, up 14% from last year.
In the middle of all this, Nintendo continues to stand apart from the rest of the market. The Nintendo Switch 2 ranked as the best-selling console in both units and sales for May, remaining the top-selling platform for the year so far. After its first year on the market, the console has already reached a staggering "5.9 million-unit installed base" in the United States, making it the second-fastest-selling video game system in U.S. tracked history. It's only rivaled by the Game Boy Advance, which sold 6.5 million units in its first year.
We've already seen seismic shifts for Nintendo, with the original Switch overtaking the Nintendo DS in sales last September. Meanwhile, May's Nintendo sales reveal that Mario is absolutely dominating the handheld game-wise. It's been a solid 2026 for Nintendo, too, with hits such as Tomodachi Life and third-party titles like Pragmata shifting plenty of copies on the platform. With plenty of new Switch games on the horizon, Nintendo is likely to have a strong few months ahead.
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