Video Game Console Launch Prices With Time
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While home console video gaming’s share of the gaming industry market has been reducing over the years, numerous players still turn to trusted faves like the PS5 or Nintendo Switch to immerse themselves in the very best games on the market.
This visualization shows the launch costs of numerous video game gaming consoles, changed for rising cost of living and classified by their manufacturer (Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others), making use of information from Rising cost of living Station, along with extra data for particular console model rates from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Shutoff. Rising cost of living was determined as of August 2025, using data from the U.S.you can find more here retrogamingcollector from Our Articles Bureau of Labor Stats.
Release years are for The United States and Canada, and console costs are for launch versions of consoles unless or else noted.
- For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 20GB variations were made use of.
- For the PlayStation 5, the disc suitable version was made use of.
- For the Vapor Deck, the 64GB version was used.
Which Console Had one of the most Costly Introduce Price?
Below, we reveal the launch rate for each console in its original cost and in 2025 dollars, together with its release year, and its manufacturer.
| Console | Release Year | Initial Price | Changed Price (August 2025) | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | 1977 | $199 | $1,020 | Atari |
| Intellivision | 1980 | $299 | $1,193 | Mattel |
| Atari 5200 | 1982 | $269 | $864 | Atari |
| ColecoVision | 1982 | $175 | $564 | Coleco |
| NES | 1985 | $199 | $576 | Nintendo |
| Master System | 1986 | $200 | $571 | Sega |
| Atari 7800 | 1986 | $139 | $402 | Atari |
| TurboGrafx-16 | 1989 | $199 | $503 | Hudson Soft & Nec Home Electronics |
| Sega Genesis | 1989 | $189 | $477 | Sega |
| Atari Lynx | 1989 | $179 | $451 | Atari |
Recalling, several of the earliest consoles were fairly pricey when changed for inflation, making them luxury items for numerous households at a time when consoles were rivaling the prominence of games in both appeal and top quality.
Readjusted for inflation, SNK’s Neo Geo console was the most costly computer game console at launch. Released in 1990, the Japanese console cost $649, which has to do with $1,552 in 2025 dollars.
The Neo Geo video game system described both the firm’s game system and home computer game console, and was applauded for its top quality hardware and 2D graphics at the time. Neo Geo video game titles often retailed for over $200 each at the time, and were suggested to be exactly the same as its game equivalents.
The 3DO Firm’s Interactive Multiplayer console can be found in at a close second, retailing for $699 in 1993, which has to do with $1,510 today, readjusted for inflation. The 3DO Company was an American video game company established in 1991 by Digital Arts owner Trip Hawkins, and declared bankruptcy in 2003.
One of the most inexpensive video game console at launch was Nintendo’s Video game Kid Shade, an 8-bit portable console released in 1998 for $79, which is about $153 in 2025 bucks.
The Game Boy Shade was the follower to the extensively successful initial Game Boy, and its most significant new feature was the introduction of full-color gameplay.
PS5 Pro Includes a Hefty Cost
The forthcoming PlayStation 5 Pro is priced at $699, making it one of the most costly console in the PlayStation lineup, dramatically more than the PS5, which launched at $499, and the PS4 Pro, which debuted at $399.
In contrast, both the PS4 and PS4 Pro were launched at the very same price factor of $399, highlighting a plain boost in prices for the latest generation of consoles.
Also when adjusting rates for rising cost of living, the PS5 Pro’s launch cost is just defeated by the Playstation 3, which had an infamously high launch rate in 2006 of $499 ($780 when adjusted for inflation).
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 Game Console Launch Costs Adjusted for Rising Cost Of Living (1975-2025) |
