PS5 Best-Seller in the US in Worst November Since 1995 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 17 December 2025 / 10,727 Views
The PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console in the US for November 2025 in terms of units sold and dollar sales, according to figures from Circana (formerly The NPD Group). Circana includes the dates for the four-week period of November 2 to 29.
This is the first time the PlayStation 5 came in first place since the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 came in second place in terms of units and dollars for the month. The NEX Playground ranked in third place in terms of units sold, while the Xbox Series X|S came in third place in terms of dollars.
Units sold for the PS5 is down over 40 percent year-on-year, while the Xbox Series X|S is down 70 percent, and the combined sales of the Switch 2 and Switch are down over 10 percent from Switch sales last year (via IGN).
There were 1.6 million units of video game hardware sold during the month, which is the lowest total for a November since the 1.4 million sold in 1995. The average price of hardware sold reached a record high of $439 for November, up 11 percent year-on-year.
Overall spending on video games in November decreased four percent year-on-year from $6.12 billion to $5.86 billion. Spending on video game content increased one percent from 4.80 billion to $4.84 billion, while video game hardware sales fell 27 percent from $949 million to $695 million. Spending on accessories decreased 13 percent from $375 million to $327 million.
In terms of 2025 total sales, overall spending on video games is up one percent year-on-year from $52.31 billion to $52.92 billion. Spending on video game content increased one percent from $45.95 billion to $46.36 billion, while video game hardware sales grew 10 percent from $3.86 billion to $4.23 billion. Spending on accessories decreased seven percent from $2.51 billion to $2.33 billion.
"The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 marked the 18th consecutive year that a CoD franchise release has been the best-selling game of its release month, while PS5 led hardware in both unit and dollar sales," said Circana Executive Director and Video Game Industry Analyst Mat Piscatella.
He added, "Total projected spending across video game hardware, content and accessories fell 4% when compared to a year ago, to $5.9 billion. Hardware, accessory and console content declines drove the change.
"Monthly hardware spending dropped by 27% when compared to a year ago, to $695M. This is the lowest video game hardware spending total for a November month since the $455M reached during the November 2005 tracking period.
"1.6 million units of video game hardware across all platforms sold in the US during November, the lowest total for a November month since 1995 (1.4 million). The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware reached an all-time November high of $439, up 11% compared to a year ago."
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game in November and is the seventh best-selling game of 2025 after one month. There was a double-digit percentage sales decline compared to November 2024.
This is the 18th straight year a Call of Duty game was the best-selling game in its launch month. It started with Call of Duty: World at War in November 2008.
There were two other new releases in the top 20 with Kirby Air Riders in 10th place and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment in 11th place.
Several titles saw a boost in sales due to discounts . This includes NBA 2K26, EA Sports FC 26, EA Sports College Football 26, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and more.
Here are the top 20 best-selling games in terms of dollars for November 2025:
Here are the top 20 best-selling games in 2025 year-to-date:
Here are the top 10 best-selling premium games on PlayStation platforms in November 2025:
Here are the top 10 best-selling premium games on Xbox platforms in November 2025:
Here are the top 10 best-selling premium games on Nintendo platforms in November 2025:
Here are the top 10 best-selling premium games on PC in November 2025:
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
More Articles
“Units sold for the PS5 is down over 40 percent year-on-year, while the Xbox Series X|S is down 70 percent, and the combined sales of the Switch 2 and Switch are down over 10 percent from Switch sales last year.”
Wow that is catastrophic. XBSXS literally hit a cliff, and Switch 2 combined with Switch 1 couldn’t even maintain pace with Switch 1 solo in 2024. What on earth happened??
It is a BAD month for everyone not named NEX.
This is what happens when an actual competitor (i.e. NEX) hits the industry. Leaving the industry in shambles! /s
How expensive consoles are and the bad economy in the US didn't help.
From Circana's Mat: "The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware in the US during November 2019 was $235. In November 2025 it was $439. 3.9 million units of video game hardware sold in the US in November 2019. In November 2025 it was 1.6 million."
I was actually just about to post. That’s a crazy price hike for six years… granted, a little dishonest being that 2019 would’ve been the twilight year for PS4/XBOne & Switch Lite’s big holiday.
Hardware down across the board but PS5 somehow managed outsell the Switch 2 in both Units and Revenue.
PS5 sales will still be down despite GTA 6. Right now the U.S. market is cooked if this is the worst November since 1995 (30 years).
The PS5 is more expensive in November 2025 than November 2024.
Fact is PS5 made more revenue the proposition that S2 made more profit with less revenue is unfounded. PS5 has 2 things going for it, they bought a lot of RAM before the crisis and the PS5 is old tech wise. Also it already had price increases to boost it's hardware profitability. Meanwhile S2 is still relatively new and usually consoles sold at the beginning of their lifecycle make less profit per unit then down the line.
FYI PlayStation division is projecting a ¥500b operating income(profit) for the current Financial Year. Nintendo is projecting ¥350b Net Profit.
“somehow” This term suggests to me that you aren’t aware that this is usually how it goes for consoles in their first year.
Trump Tariffs raising prices across the board. Spending will probably be down this holiday with consumers tightening their belts. The job market is also shaky.
PS5 was killing it on EU and dropping heavily on USA, such a shame.
But a new system NS2 on its first holiday, plus the older one NS1, combined, being down compared to NS1 last year, which was already declining a lot is just... wow.
December sales should be better for Nintendo, but it's really something.
I told you, the problem with the Switch 2 is its price: it's really too expensive. It's not normal for a console that just came out to perform worse than last year's Switch. Even both of them together do worse than the PS5, which came out five years ago. In Europe, it's the same, but in Japan, it's a different story: the Switch 2 is much cheaper there. As I’ve already mentioned, I often talk with my clients, especially parents who want to buy it for their children, and they all tell me that the console is way too expensive for what it offers. In France, we have an entry-level price, which makes it cheaper than in all other countries except Japan. People rely too much on the record launch of the Switch 2: take that record away and compare it to the launch figures of the Switch 1, and you’ll see that these sales are far from impressive. Nintendo should lower the price.
At this rate I don´t even know if GTA 6´s release can return the console industry to PS4/XONE levels.
What a catastrophic month
Thats why Circana did not show the actual units sold between PS5 and Switch 2 because the gap is not that wide. Its just a few thousand units. While in Japan PS5 is being obliterated even though its heavily discounted in the US, the income PS5 generated (not revenue) is lower to Switch 2. during November. Facts.
Exactly, he has no idea what he is talking about. He still thinks it's the Switch 1 era but if he looked at the official Nintendo reports and component costs he would see that Switch 2 is sold at a razer thin profit line and the PS5 has been profitable for years. He's running from post to post trying to put out fires with lame excuses with no actual accurate information just to give him a reason to continue his hit and run troll posting that he has a history of which is why no one takes him seriously. FACTS!
He is really on "panic mode"... spamming the news like this.
Copied form above:
PlayStation division is projecting a ¥500b operating income(profit) for the current Financial Year. Nintendo is projecting ¥350b Net Profit.
No way!?
Especially when PlayStation made some great Black Friday deals!
How is this possible?
How can it only be going down?
A shift toward PC gaming?
Mobile gaming?
Other reasons?
PS5 made some great black friday deals and the price was still the retail price the console came out in 2020. By comparisson you could have bought a PS4 with two games in a black friday bundle for like 250 usd (the Slim model) in the same year of its lifecycle. Xbox didn´t even care to do any black friday deal; Nintendo´s Switch 2 did good but NS was exploding with the pandemic.
I think all technology costs are increasing-Really nowhere to go.
The Black Friday deals in the USA were actually not particularly impressive.
GTA5 still at it
