Computer Game Console Launch Costs Gradually
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While home console pc gaming’s share of the gaming sector market has been diminishing over the years, numerous players still turn to trusted faves like the PS5 or Nintendo Change to submerse themselves in the best video games on the market.
This visualization reveals the launch costs of numerous video game consoles, readjusted for inflation and categorized by their maker (Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others), making use of data from Inflation Station, in addition to extra information for specific console version costs from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Shutoff. Rising cost of living was determined as of August 2025, making use of information from the U.S.Read more retrogamingcollector At website Articles Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Launch years are for The United States and Canada, and console prices are for launch versions of gaming consoles unless otherwise kept in mind.
- For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 20GB variations were used.
- For the PlayStation 5, the disc compatible version was made use of.
- For the Steam Deck, the 64GB version was used.
Which Console Had the Most Pricey Introduce Price?
Listed below, we show the launch cost for every console in its initial cost and in 2025 bucks, together with its launch year, and its maker.
| Console | Release Year | Initial Cost | Readjusted 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 Electronic Devices |
| Sega Genesis | 1989 | $189 | $477 | Sega |
| Atari Lynx | 1989 | $179 | $451 | Atari |
Recalling, several of the earliest consoles were rather pricey when adjusted for inflation, making them deluxe things for several families at a time when gaming consoles were rivaling the dominance of galleries in both popularity and high quality.
Readjusted for rising cost of living, SNK’s Neo Geo console was one of the most pricey computer game console at launch. Launched in 1990, the Japanese console sold for $649, which is about $1,552 in 2025 dollars.
The Neo Geo game system described both the business’s arcade system and home computer game console, and was commended for its top quality equipment and 2D graphics at the time. Neo Geo computer game titles frequently retailed for over $200 each at the time, and were implied to be precisely the same as its gallery equivalents.
The 3DO Company’s Interactive Multiplayer console can be found in at a close 2nd, selling for $699 in 1993, which has to do with $1,510 today, changed for inflation. The 3DO Business was an American video game company founded in 1991 by Digital Arts founder Journey Hawkins, and went bankrupt in 2003.
One of the most affordable computer game console at launch was Nintendo’s Game Kid Shade, an 8-bit portable console launched in 1998 for $79, which has to do with $153 in 2025 dollars.
The Video Game Child Shade was the follower to the extensively successful original Video game Child, and its most significant new function was the introduction of full-color gameplay.
PS5 Pro Comes With a Hefty Price
The forthcoming PlayStation 5 Pro is valued at $699, making it the most costly console in the PlayStation lineup, considerably higher 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 same cost point of $399, highlighting a stark boost in prices for the most recent generation of gaming consoles.
Even when adjusting prices for rising cost of living, the PS5 Pro’s launch cost is only beaten by the Playstation 3, which had an infamously high launch price in 2006 of $499 ($780 when changed for inflation).
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 Video Game Console Introduce Rates Adjusted for Inflation (1975-2025) |