Visualizing Console Prices at Launch 🎮

What We're Showing

The launch prices of various game consoles, adjusted for inflation and categorized by their maker (Atari, Sega, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and other).

Data comes 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, and for the Steam Deck, the 64GB version was used.

Key Takeaways

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 today's dollars.
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.