ArticleThe Game Business

September Market Analysis: PS5 Sales and Industry Consolidation

8 Oct 20261 page~12 min full read

Global

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Key insights

7 takeaways · ~3 min read

01
Industry analyst Joost van Dreunen projects that the top ten game publishers will control two-thirds of total industry revenue by 2030, up from over 50% currently.
02
Physical retail remains significant for PS5 titles, with Marvel’s Wolverine seeing 35% of global sales in boxed form and 51% in Europe, despite Sony’s plan to phase out discs by January 2028.
03
New independent IP outperformed in September, with the tactical shooter Wardogs reaching over three million sales and the RPG The Blood of the Dawnwalker selling nearly two million copies.
04
The merger between Paramount and Warner Bros has combined their respective video game divisions under the leadership of Paramount Games Studio head Tony Driscoll.
05
Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert has reached six million total sales, with half of that volume generated on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
06
Google has launched Playground, a consumer platform for generating playable games via text prompts, with plans to introduce a more advanced creation toolset called Unity Spark later this year.
07
Supermassive Games has laid off 70 employees, following an initial announcement of restructuring plans two months prior.

Summary

The September 2026 market analysis examines the performance of the video game industry, focusing on console sales, physical media trends, and the long-term implications of corporate consolidation. Utilizing data from Ampere Analysis and Nielsen IQ, the assessment covers major global markets, with specific console performance metrics highlighted for the United Kingdom.

September saw a robust recovery in the console market, with UK hardware sales reaching 125,000 units, a 78% increase over August and a 10% rise year-over-year. The PlayStation 5 led the market with a 117% month-on-month sales increase, followed by the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox. Despite the growth in hardware, the industry faces a significant shift regarding physical media. Data indicates that 35% of sales for major titles like Marvel’s Wolverine remain physical, with European markets showing even higher reliance on discs. This consumer preference for physical ownership persists despite Sony’s stated intention to phase out disc support by 2028.

Industry consolidation remains a primary concern, as the top ten publishers currently control over half of all publishing revenue, a figure projected to reach two-thirds by 2030. Analysts warn that this concentration of power creates significant barriers to entry for smaller developers and threatens creative diversity. However, the market is simultaneously witnessing a rise in successful AA-style studios that capitalize on the risk-aversion of larger entities. While major publishers struggle to justify the high costs of frequent AAA releases, mid-sized developers are finding growth by targeting niche audiences and filling gaps left by the industry’s largest players.