Nintendo Switch 2 Leads as Hardware Spending Falls 11% in 2026

Gaming hardware spending fell 11% in 2026 compared with the prior year, even as the Nintendo Switch 2 led console sales within that shrinking category, according to a report cited by TechPowerUp.

How much did gaming hardware spending drop in 2026?

Spending on gaming hardware — consoles, handhelds and related devices — fell 11% year over year in 2026, per the report TechPowerUp cited. The decline covers the broader hardware category rather than any single platform, meaning the drop reflects combined spending across competing systems, not a falloff tied only to one company's lineup.

Which console dominated sales despite the decline?

Within that shrinking hardware market, the Nintendo Switch 2 led sales, according to TechPowerUp's reporting. The console's position at the top of the sales charts came even as overall hardware spending contracted, indicating that Nintendo's newest system captured a larger share of a smaller pool of consumer spending than rival systems during the period covered.

How did video game software spending compare with hardware?

Spending on games — software, in industry terms — held up better than hardware spending in 2026, according to the report. TechPowerUp described game spending as healthier than the hardware side of the business, a distinction separating how much consumers spent on new consoles and devices from how much they spent on the games played on those devices.

Does a hardware slump signal trouble for the industry?

The report, as cited by TechPowerUp, frames 2026 as a year in which hardware spending slowed while software spending did not fall at the same rate, without detailing specific dollar figures behind the software side. That split suggests the console market and the broader games business are not moving in lockstep this year, though the available material does not break out revenue by platform beyond identifying the Switch 2 as the hardware sales leader.

What does the Switch 2's lead mean for shoppers?

For buyers tracking console availability, the practical takeaway is narrower than a headline figure might suggest: the Switch 2 sold well enough to top the charts even as total hardware dollars spent across the industry declined 11%. TechPowerUp's report did not provide additional detail on unit sales, pricing changes, or regional breakdowns tied to that figure, and no additional source was available to corroborate specific dollar amounts beyond the percentage decline cited.

Where does the 11% figure come from?

The figure traces back to the report TechPowerUp cited in its coverage; the originating article does not name the underlying research firm in the material reviewed for this story. Readers looking for the full methodology behind the hardware and software spending comparison should consult TechPowerUp's original piece directly.