What Christmas 2025 Revealed About the Future of Consoles

6 January 2026

Paul Francis

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For decades, Christmas has acted as the clearest indicator of the health of the console games industry. Strong festive sales usually signalled momentum, cultural relevance, and a growing audience. Weak performance, by contrast, often hinted at bigger structural change.

Nintendo Switch with Pokémon game on screen, surrounded by Pokémon figures and a controller. Bright colors, playful gaming setup.

Christmas 2025 did not deliver the dramatic uplift many expected. While consoles continued to sell, the overall picture suggested a market that is no longer driven by festive urgency in the way it once was. Instead, the numbers revealed a shift in how people value, buy, and use gaming hardware.

A festive season that felt quieter than expected

In the UK, PlayStation 5 remained the strongest performing console over the Christmas period. During Black Friday and the weeks leading up to Christmas, it accounted for the majority of console sales, reinforcing Sony’s position as the dominant platform of the current generation.

However, overall console sales were lower than historic norms. Xbox hardware experienced its weakest year on record in the UK, with sales down significantly compared to the previous year. This decline was not isolated. In the United States, November 2025 saw some of the lowest holiday-period console sales figures in decades, suggesting a broader slowdown rather than a local anomaly.

Nintendo’s Switch 2 offered a partial counterpoint. Its launch earlier in 2025 was strong, and it quickly built a substantial installed base. Even so, its success did not translate into a wider surge for the console market as a whole.

Rather than a dramatic collapse, Christmas 2025 felt subdued. It reflected a market that is stable, but no longer expanding through seasonal spikes.

Retro Nintendo Entertainment System on a gray table, with visible power and reset buttons. Vintage, nostalgic atmosphere.

Why Christmas no longer guarantees a sales boost

Several factors explain why Christmas did not deliver the usual surge in hardware sales.

Price remains a significant barrier. Consoles are still expensive several years into the generation, and for many households facing cost-of-living pressures, a games console competes with more practical priorities.

Urgency has also faded. In previous generations, buying a console meant access to exclusive games unavailable elsewhere. Today, that distinction is weaker. Subscription services, cross-platform releases, and cloud gaming have reduced the pressure to buy hardware immediately.

Console lifecycles have lengthened as well. Many players are satisfied with older systems that still run most major releases. The leap to newer hardware often feels incremental rather than essential, especially when digital libraries carry over.

Together, these factors mean that Christmas no longer functions as a forcing moment for upgrades.

Xbox as a case study in strategic change

Xbox’s performance in 2025 highlights how corporate strategy can reshape hardware demand.

Microsoft has increasingly positioned Xbox as a service rather than a device. Game Pass, cloud streaming, and the decision to release titles across multiple platforms have expanded access to its games. At the same time, they have reduced the necessity of owning an Xbox console specifically.

For consumers, this flexibility can be appealing. For hardware sales, it weakens the traditional Christmas proposition. When a console becomes optional rather than essential, fewer people feel compelled to buy one as a gift.

Xbox’s decline does not suggest a failing brand, but it does illustrate how shifting priorities can alter the role of hardware within an ecosystem.

PlayStation’s dominance in a changing market

Two black gaming controllers with blue and red lights are on a wooden table, alongside headphones. The scene is relaxed and tech-focused.

Sony’s position remains strong. PlayStation 5 continues to attract buyers, supported by a steady release schedule and strong brand loyalty. Yet dominance alone does not guarantee growth.

When one platform captures most of the remaining demand, it can indicate consolidation rather than expansion. Fewer people may be buying consoles overall, but those who do are choosing a single, familiar option.

This creates a quieter challenge for the industry. If even the market leader depends on a shrinking pool of buyers, the traditional model of relying on festive sales peaks becomes less reliable over time.

Are consoles becoming a more specialist purchase?

Consoles are not disappearing, but their role appears to be narrowing.

They increasingly function as lifestyle devices purchased by committed players rather than default household gifts. Casual gaming continues to thrive on mobile devices, PCs, and cloud platforms, where barriers to entry are lower.

Younger players in particular are less likely to associate gaming with a single box beneath the television. Their experience is spread across devices, accounts, and subscriptions.

Christmas 2025 may be remembered as the moment when this generational shift became clearly visible in sales data.

What Christmas 2025 means for the future

Future festive seasons will still matter, but they may no longer define success in the way they once did. Console launches and growth strategies are likely to rely more on long-term engagement than on Christmas spikes alone.

Services, digital libraries, and ecosystems may matter more than units sold in December. Hardware could continue to sell steadily rather than explosively, reflecting a mature and fragmented market.

Christmas 2025 did not mark the end of consoles. It marked a transition away from a model built on seasonal urgency.

The story of Christmas 2025 is not one of collapse, but of adjustment.

Consoles remain a core part of the games industry, but they are no longer the automatic centrepiece of Christmas for every household. The quieter tone of this festive season suggests an industry adapting to new habits, new priorities, and a broader definition of how people play.

What once depended on a single day under the tree is now shaped by an entire year of access.

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The Lost Legends of Cinema: Films That Never Came to Be

Connor Banks
Aug 12, 2024
3 min read

In the glittering world of Hollywood, not all dreams make it to the silver screen. Some projects, despite their enormous potential and the star-studded talent attached to them, remain forever in the realm of "what could have been." Among these are some of the most intriguing and ambitious films never made, each with its own unique story that has captivated the imaginations of fans and filmmakers alike. From Alejandro Jodorowsky’s psychedelic epic to George Miller’s ambitious superhero ensemble, these unproduced films offer a glimpse into alternate cinematic realities.

Jodorowsky's Dune: The Psychedelic Epic

Jodorowsky's Dune stands out as perhaps the most legendary of these unfinished projects. In the mid-1970s, avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on an audacious quest to adapt Frank Herbert’s science fiction masterpiece, "Dune." His vision was nothing short of revolutionary, intending to create a 10-14 hour cinematic experience that would transcend traditional film and become a transformative journey for viewers. Jodorowsky assembled an extraordinary team, including surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles, Mick Jagger, and H.R. Giger, with a soundtrack by Pink Floyd. Despite the staggering talent and creativity involved, the project was ultimately deemed too ambitious and costly. Financial and logistical issues, combined with Hollywood's reluctance to back such an unconventional vision, led to its demise. The story of "Jodorowsky’s Dune" was later immortalised in a 2013 documentary, offering a fascinating look at what might have been and showcasing the profound influence it had on future science fiction films.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote: A Dream Delayed

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote concept art piece

Equally compelling is Terry Gilliam’s "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote." Gilliam, known for his work with Monty Python and his uniquely surreal directorial style, spent nearly three decades attempting to bring this project to life. The film, a loose adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel, faced an extraordinary array of setbacks. The initial production in 2000 was plagued by natural disasters, financial issues, and a severe back injury suffered by lead actor Jean Rochefort. These calamities, captured in the documentary "Lost in La Mancha," halted the project, and subsequent attempts to revive it faced similar challenges. It wasn’t until 2018 that Gilliam finally completed the film, though it differed significantly from his original vision. The journey of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" remains a testament to artistic perseverance, highlighting the often tumultuous path from script to screen.

Atuk: The Cursed Comedy

"Atuk," based on Mordecai Richler’s novel "The Incomparable Atuk," has earned its place in Hollywood legend due to the so-called "Atuk curse." This comedy about an Inuit navigating the modern urban jungle was attached to several high-profile actors, each of whom died under tragic and unexpected circumstances before production could begin. John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy, and Chris Farley all expressed interest or were cast in the lead role, only to meet untimely deaths. The eerie pattern of misfortune has led to a macabre fascination with the project, ensuring that "Atuk" remains one of the most infamous unproduced films in history.

Batman: Year One: The Dark Reimagining

Concept of Gotham City as seen from Above

In the realm of superhero cinema, Darren Aronofsky’s "Batman: Year One" represents a radical departure from the traditional portrayals of the Dark Knight. Aronofsky, known for his dark and psychologically intense films, envisioned a gritty reboot of Batman that would strip the character down to his essence. This version of Bruce Wayne would lose his fortune, live on the streets, and don a makeshift costume. Despite the intriguing premise, Warner Bros. ultimately chose a different path, opting for Christopher Nolan’s "Batman Begins," which balanced realism with a more traditional narrative. Aronofsky’s bold vision remains a fascinating "what if" scenario, reflecting the creative risks involved in reimagining iconic characters.

Justice League: Mortal: The Superhero Ensemble That Almost Was

Finally, George Miller’s "Justice League: Mortal" was an ambitious attempt to bring together DC Comics' most iconic superheroes in a single film long before the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a cast that included Armie Hammer as Batman, D.J. Cotrona as Superman, and Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, the project promised a sprawling, epic narrative. However, it was plagued by a series of setbacks, including the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, financial issues, and concerns over audience confusion due to multiple actors playing the same characters in different franchises. Despite never being made, "Justice League: Mortal" has become a source of endless speculation and interest, illustrating the complexities and challenges of launching a shared cinematic universe.

The Allure of the Unmade

These unproduced films, each with their unique blend of ambition, talent, and misfortune, offer a tantalising glimpse into the alternate realities of cinema. They stand as reminders of the fragile nature of filmmaking, where even the most promising projects can falter and fall into the realm of legend. Yet, their stories continue to inspire, serving as both cautionary tales and sources of endless fascination for those who dream of what might have been.