Video Game Console Release Prices Changed for Rising Cost Of Living (1975-2025)

Video Game Console Launch Prices In Time

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While home console video gaming’s share of the pc gaming sector market has actually been shrinking for many years, several players still turn to trusted faves like the PS5 or Nintendo Switch to submerse themselves in the most effective video games on the marketplace.

This visualization shows the launch rates of different video game gaming consoles, readjusted for rising cost of living and categorized by their maker (Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others), making use of information from Inflation Terminal, in addition to added data for specific console version costs from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Valve. Rising cost of living was computed since August 2025, using information from the united state Bureau of Labor Statistics.Read more here At website Articles

Launch years are for North America, and console costs are for launch versions of consoles unless otherwise kept in mind.

  • For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 20GB variations were made use of.
  • For the PlayStation 5, the disc suitable variation was utilized.
  • For the Steam Deck, the 64GB version was utilized.

Which Console Had the Most Expensive Introduce Price?

Below, we show the launch price for each console in its initial cost and in 2025 bucks, together with its release year, and its maker.

Console Launch Year Original Rate Changed Cost (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 Electronic Devices
Sega Genesis 1989 $189 $477 Sega
Atari Lynx 1989 $179 $451 Atari

Recalling, several of the earliest gaming consoles were fairly pricey when changed for rising cost of living, making them luxury things for lots of families each time when consoles were equaling the dominance of arcades in both popularity and top quality.

Adjusted for inflation, SNK’s Neo Geo console was the most costly video game console at launch. Released in 1990, the Japanese console sold for $649, which has to do with $1,552 in 2025 dollars.

The Neo Geo game system referred to both the business’s arcade system and home video game console, and was commended for its high-quality hardware and 2D graphics at the time. Neo Geo computer game titles frequently retailed for over $200 each at the time, and were meant to be exactly the like its gallery counterparts.

The 3DO Company’s Interactive Multiplayer console can be found in at a close 2nd, selling for $699 in 1993, which is about $1,510 today, changed for rising cost of living. The 3DO Business was an American video game firm founded in 1991 by Electronic Arts owner Journey Hawkins, and declared bankruptcy in 2003.

The most economical video game console at launch was Nintendo’s Video game Young boy Shade, an 8-bit handheld console launched in 1998 for $79, which is about $153 in 2025 bucks.

The Video Game Young Boy Color was the follower to the commonly successful initial Game Young boy, and its most significant new function was the introduction of full-color gameplay.

PS5 Pro Comes With a Hefty Price Tag

The upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro is valued at $699, making it the most expensive console in the PlayStation lineup, considerably more than the PS5, which went for $499, and the PS4 Pro, which debuted at $399.

In comparison, both the PS4 and PS4 Pro were released at the exact same price factor of $399, highlighting a stark boost in prices for the latest generation of gaming consoles.

Also when adjusting costs for inflation, the PS5 Pro’s launch price is only beaten by the Playstation 3, which had an infamously high launch cost in 2006 of $499 ($780 when adjusted for rising cost of living).

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To learn more regarding the gaming industry, look into this graphic that shows one of the most popular video gaming styles by generation.


Video Game Console Release Prices Changed for Rising Cost Of Living (1975-2025)

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