Buying a console is today much more expensive: this is how the prices of Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo have risen since 2020

The consoles have increased their price between 12.5% and 50% in just a few years.

More stories in the category News

• If you’ve booked GTA 6, check this setting to avoid a potential issue
• Start your relaxing Saturday with 4 new free Steam games review
• Xbox Play Anywhere continues to grow with two new games confirmed for PC and console

The video game market has changed significantly since the release of the current generation of consoles. What started with stock issues, component shortages, and logistical difficulties has ended up becoming a reality that few imagined a few years ago: buying a new console today costs much more than at its launch.

Xbox has been the latest to announce a new price increase for several of its models, but it’s not an isolated case. Sony has also revised its rates on several occasions, and Nintendo will follow the same path with Switch 2. The result is a market where almost all major consoles are now more expensive than when they first hit stores.

How the prices of the main consoles have increased since their release

When comparing the original prices to the current ones, the increase is particularly striking in some models. In certain cases, the increase reaches up to 50%, something unprecedented in the modern video game industry.

Although each manufacturer has justified these revisions for different reasons, they all point in a similar direction: the increase in manufacturing costs, pressure on the supply chain, and the rising cost of key components such as memory or advanced chips.

All of this has led to an unusual situation in the sector. Traditionally, consoles reduced their price as the generation progressed, but this time the opposite has happened. Instead of becoming cheaper, the machines have become more expensive over the years.

With several component manufacturers anticipating that cost pressure will continue for a long time, it cannot be ruled out that the market will continue to experience new price revisions in the coming years. For those considering taking the leap to a new-generation console, waiting no longer guarantees paying less, a reality that breaks with one of the most established trends in the video game industry.