November 2025 marked a historic low for hardware sales in the US, with only 1.6 million units sold, the worst performance since 1995. This significant drop in sales, down 27% from the previous year, can be attributed to the soaring average price of new gaming consoles, which reached an all-time high of $439. Traditionally, November is a peak month for gaming hardware sales due to Black Friday and holiday shopping, making this decline particularly alarming for the industry.