Game Console Launch Prices Adjusted for Inflation (1975-2024)

Kayla Zhu
2024-11-03 17:08:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

Video Game Console Launch Prices Over Time

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

This visualization shows the launch prices of various game consoles, adjusted for inflation and categorized by their maker (Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others), using data from Inflation Station, along with additional data for specific console model prices from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Valve. Inflation was calculated as of August 2024, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Release years are for North America, and console prices are for launch versions of consoles unless otherwise noted.

• For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 20GB versions were used.
• For the PlayStation 5, the disc compatible version was used.
• For the Steam Deck, the 64GB version was used.

Which Console Had the Most Expensive Launch Price?

Below, we show the launch price for each console in its original price and in 2024 dollars, along with its release year, and its maker.

Looking back, some of the earliest consoles were fairly pricey when adjusted for inflation, making them luxury items for many households at a time when consoles were rivaling the dominance of arcades in both popularity and quality.

Adjusted for inflation, SNK’s Neo Geo console was the most expensive video game console at launch. Released in 1990, the Japanese console sold for $649, which is about $1,552 in 2024 dollars.

The Neo Geo game system referred to both the company’s arcade system and home video game console, and was praised for its high-quality hardware and 2D graphics at the time. Neo Geo video game titles often retailed for over $200 each at the time, and were meant to be exactly the same as its arcade counterparts.

The 3DO Company’s Interactive Multiplayer console came in at a close second, retailing for $699 in 1993, which is about $1,510 today, adjusted for inflation. The 3DO Company was an American video game company founded in 1991 by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, and went bankrupt in 2003.

The most affordable video game console at launch was Nintendo’s Game Boy Color, an 8-bit handheld console released in 1998 for $79, which is about $153 in 2024 dollars.

The Game Boy Color was the successor to the widely successful original Game Boy, and its most notable new feature was the introduction of full-color gameplay.

PS5 Pro Comes With a Hefty Price Tag

The upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro is priced at $699, making it the most expensive console in the PlayStation lineup, significantly higher 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 same price point of $399, highlighting a stark increase in pricing for the latest generation of consoles.

Even when adjusting prices 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 adjusted for inflation).

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the gaming industry, check out this graphic that shows the most popular gaming genres by generation.

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