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

Video Game Console Launch Costs In Time

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While home console gaming’s share of the video gaming sector market has actually been shrinking over the years, many gamers still turn to trusted faves like the PS5 or Nintendo Switch over to immerse themselves in the best games on the marketplace.

This visualization shows the launch prices of different 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 data from Rising cost of living Terminal, along with extra data for certain console version rates from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Valve. Rising cost of living was determined as of August 2025, using information from the united state Bureau of Labor Stats.More Here retrogamingcollector At our site

Launch years are for North America, and console costs are for launch variations of consoles unless or else kept in mind.

• For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 20GB variations were used.
• For the PlayStation 5, the disc compatible variation was made use of.
• For the Heavy steam Deck, the 64GB version was used.

Which Console Had the Most Pricey Release Cost?

Listed below, we reveal the launch rate for each console in its initial price and in 2025 dollars, along with its release year, and its maker.

Looking back, several of the earliest gaming consoles were fairly costly when readjusted for inflation, making them luxury products for numerous families at a time when gaming consoles were equaling the dominance of arcades in both appeal and quality.

Readjusted for rising cost of living, SNK’s Neo Geo console was one of the most costly computer game console at launch. Launched in 1990, the Japanese console cost $649, which is about $1,552 in 2025 bucks.

The Neo Geo game system described both the company’s gallery system and home computer game console, and was applauded for its high-grade hardware and 2D graphics at the time. Neo Geo computer game titles usually retailed for over $200 each at the time, and were meant to be specifically the same as its arcade equivalents.

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

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

The Game Boy Shade was the successor to the widely successful original Game Young boy, and its most significant new attribute was the intro of full-color gameplay.

PS5 Pro Comes With a Hefty Cost

The forthcoming PlayStation 5 Pro is valued at $699, making it the most costly console in the PlayStation lineup, significantly greater than the PS5, which launched at $499, and the PS4 Pro, which debuted at $399.

In comparison, both the PS4 and PS4 Pro were released at the very same cost factor of $399, highlighting a plain rise in pricing for the most up to date generation of consoles.

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

Learn More on the Voronoi Application

To read more regarding the video gaming industry, look into this graphic that reveals the most preferred gaming styles by generation.

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