Sony has dominated the traditional home console market for decades through massive hardware sales and critically acclaimed exclusive games. From the record breaking PlayStation 2 to the current PS5 being the first pick console for many gamers. As competitors like Microsoft and Nintendo are finding massive success by prioritizing cloud gaming, subscription services, and portable hardware, Sony was taking the lead in pure hardware units sales.
But recently Sony saw a massive drop in it for Play Station 5 units in the UK with one of the reasons being the recent announcement from Sony about the major price increase for the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal, which may have contributed to the console’s drop in sales. Another strong contributing factor to that is PlayStation users not getting access to play Forza Horizon 6.
PS5 Sales In UK Were Just 400 Units Higher Than Xbox Series X/S
May’s UK sales information for the PS5 comes through a new X post by Christopher Dring, a game journalist for The Games Business. Dring’s new post reveals that PS5’s May sales took a 50% hit in the UK region and were just 400 units higher than the Xbox series X/S. The Xbox consoles on the other hand, saw a 12% increase in sales due to the release of their exclusive title Forza Horizon 6.
In the UK, PS5 sales fell 50% in May. It only outsold Xbox Series S/X by 400 units (which saw a 12% rise, helped by console exclusive Forza Horizon 6). Switch 2 was easily No.1 (NielsenIQ). There will be more in today's The Game Business Show/Newsletter https://t.co/BVxmMuHZBh
— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) June 4, 2026
One of the contributing factors in the decline of sales partly because of the recent price increase in the base model to $649.99. This was due to the global crisis regarding the cost and supply of SSD and RAM chips that has severely impacted the hardware production. But beyond pricing and supply issue, PS5 is expected a natural slowdown in sales as its enters its sixth year on the market. Fans are shifting as the console transitions into later stages of its lifecycle. And with speculations of a PlayStation 6 launch around the corner, many fans are holding on to their funds for the newer console rather than buying a PS5 at the moment.
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How Forza Helped Xbox Push Closer To PlayStation In Sales
Xbox Game Studio’s racing title Forza Horizon 6 is a fan favourite for almost everyone who enjoys even a bit of car racing or open world exploration. Horizon 6, set in Japa, made its debut with record breaking numbers in May 2026 and Microsoft got its fullest advantage with the title being a platform exclusive for Xbox. Since the game is not available on PlayStation 5, it creates a powerful choice for players wanting to play the game, choosing Xbox over PlayStation 5.
This directly shifted many UK players to buy into the platform or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to play the game on day one at no additional cost and the option of having the immediate availability of a highly rated game on Xbox and not on PS5. This dramatic shift from an exclusive game proved the pushing factor for Xbox leading it with a 12% rise in the units sold for Xbox Series X/S.
