PlayStation 5 has now outsold Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States for two consecutive months. According to fresh data from Circana, published by industry analyst Mat Piscatella on March 20, 2026, the PS5 led all consoles in US hardware sales for February 2026 in both units and dollar value. This is the second month in a row the five-year-old Sony console has outsold Nintendo’s nine-month-old machine.
The Numbers
In the US specifically, PS5 sold approximately 339,000 units in February, compared to around 281,000 for Nintendo Switch 2 and roughly 100,000 for Xbox Series X/S. Globally, the gap is narrower: PS5 sold an estimated 840,000 units worldwide versus 811,000 for Switch 2 for the same period, according to VGChartz estimates.
Year-to-date through February 2026, PS5 leads the US with approximately 580,000 units sold. Switch 2 follows closely at approximately 510,000 units. Xbox Series X/S sits at around 190,000.
On a lifetime basis, PS5 has now sold an estimated 91 million units worldwide. Switch 2 has reached approximately 17 million units in its first nine months on sale.
Why Is PS5 Still Outselling a Brand-New Console?
Several factors are at play, and none of them individually explain the full picture.
PS5 has a vastly larger game library built over five years. Consumers who have been on the fence about upgrading their PS4 have a thick catalogue of reasons to finally move, while Switch 2 owners are still waiting for the system-selling exclusive titles that tend to arrive in a console’s second or third year.
The PS5 Pro is also contributing meaningfully. Sony’s premium version, with its PSSR upscaling technology, has given the platform a second sales wave among enthusiasts who want the best visual performance available on console without upgrading to a new generation.
Switch 2’s performance is not weak in absolute terms. Circana’s data notes that Switch 2 is still tracking 45 percent ahead of the original Switch at the same point in its lifecycle. It is selling faster than its predecessor in the comparable window. The console is not struggling: PS5 is simply doing better right now, in a market moment where it has a stronger software lineup.
Resident Evil Requiem was February’s biggest software story and contributed significantly to PS5’s strong month. Circana confirmed it debuted as the best-selling game of 2026 so far, with launch week dollar sales more than 60 percent higher than Resident Evil Village in 2021.
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What Could Change in March
March is widely expected to flip the dynamic. Pokemon Pokopia has been a hit with Switch 2 owners, and multiple commentators have noted it could provide the system-selling software moment the console has been waiting for. Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition launches on March 26, adding another major software reason to buy the hardware.
Sony, meanwhile, does not have a first-party game of comparable scale launching in March. The platform’s momentum is real, but it is software-driven, and the software calendar favours Nintendo for the remainder of Q1 2026.
GTA 6 remains the wildcard for later in the year. When and if that title launches, the console it releases on first is likely to see a significant single-month sales spike that could reshape the 2026 rankings entirely.
The Bigger Picture
The real takeaway from these numbers is that 2026 is shaping up to be the most competitive console year in over a decade. Two consoles separated by less than 30,000 units globally in February, with a third console (Xbox Series X/S) struggling significantly, and a new hardware entrant (PC gaming handhelds) quietly growing in the background.
PS5’s back-to-back wins confirm that the platform still has years of life ahead of it. Switch 2’s trajectory relative to its predecessor confirms that Nintendo’s new hardware is finding its audience on schedule, if not yet dominating it. The real battle begins when both platforms have their full software lineups in place.
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