Video Game Prices Price History
1985–2025 · NPD Group / Circana
Average retail price of a new console video game in the United States, tracked from 1985 to 2025. Video game pricing is one of the strangest stories in consumer economics. For roughly fifteen years, from 1993 to 2005, the standard price point was locked at $49.99. Then it jumped to $59.99 in 2006 and stayed there for another fourteen years. The $69.99 bump in 2020 was the first increase most gamers had experienced in their lifetimes. In real terms, games have actually gotten cheaper — $49.99 in 1993 is about $105 in today's dollars, making the current $69.99 a genuine bargain by historical standards.
Price in 1985
$39.99
Price in 2025
$69.99
Total Change
+75.0%
Years Tracked
40
Video Game Prices Over Time
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- In nominal terms, video game prices have increased just 75% over 40 years — from $39.99 in 1985 to $69.99 in 2025. Adjusted for inflation, games have actually gotten significantly cheaper, which partly explains why the industry's revenue has exploded.
- The $49.99 to $59.99 jump in 2006 coincided with the launch of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation. Publishers argued that HD game development costs justified the increase, and consumers mostly accepted it without much pushback.
- The longest price plateau in gaming history ran from 2006 to 2019 — fourteen years at $59.99. Publishers compensated with DLC, microtransactions, and season passes rather than raising the base price.
- When prices finally hit $69.99 in 2020, it was the first increase most millennial and Gen Z gamers had ever experienced. The backlash was loud but brief — within a year, $69.99 had become the accepted new normal for AAA releases.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | $39.99 | — |
| 1986 | $39.99 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | $39.99 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | $39.99 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | $49.99 | +25.0% |
| 1990 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | $59.99 | +20.0% |
| 1994 | $49.99 | -16.7% |
| 1995 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | $49.99 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | $59.99 | +20.0% |
| 2007 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | $59.99 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | $69.99 | +16.7% |
| 2021 | $69.99 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | $69.99 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | $69.99 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | $69.99 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | $69.99 | +0.0% |
Sources & Methodology
NPD Group (now Circana) retail tracking data for the US market. Figures represent the standard retail price for new major-release console games. Does not include digital-only discounts, indie titles, mobile games, or free-to-play titles.
Primary source: NPD Group / Circana
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.