The unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 not only grabbed attention due to its direct connection with the future of the brand but also caused surprise and criticism among users, particularly regarding the high prices of its hybrid system. A clear example of this is Mario Kart World, the launch title that had its own Direct to detail the features justifying the 90-euro price tag. This price, along with the recent price drop in Argentina, sparked a wave of criticism focused on the rising cost of video games.
Despite the controversy, the Nintendo Switch 2 is not the most expensive console in the company’s history. When adjusted for inflation, the NES remains the most costly system for users. However, the price increase is not exclusive to Nintendo; Sony also revealed just days ago that the PlayStation 5 would be more expensive in certain regions. This caused widespread backlash, as it is the first console generation to raise its retail price rather than lower it. Still, if we look at the past, it’s surprising to see that this is the cheapest era in video game history, albeit with some caveats.
In the 1980s, Nintendo revolutionized the industry with the launch of the NES, a console that, thanks to its success, not only redefined the company’s trajectory but also saved the industry after the Atari crash. However, beyond inflation, there’s a key factor showing that today’s video games are cheaper than those from back then: the cost per megabyte. NES titles, ranging from 128 to 512 KB in size, had a price tag of about 45 to 60 euros, which, adjusted for inflation, would be 100 to 130 euros today.
The same applies to the SNES, where the cost per game, between 50 and 70 euros, would increase to 110 or 140 euros when adjusted for inflation. Therefore, current games like Mario Kart World are significantly cheaper than their predecessors, relatively speaking.
A fundamental shift in the industry came with the transition from cartridges to CDs, and later to DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as Nintendo’s return to cartridges with the Nintendo 64. This transition allowed PlayStation’s games, with a capacity of up to 700 MB, to reduce their prices to between 40 and 60 euros, equivalent to 80 or 100 euros in 2025.
By contrast, systems like the Game Boy and Neo Geo represent two extremes of the market: while Nintendo’s portable console charged between 35 and 50 euros per game (roughly 80 to 100 euros adjusted for inflation), Neo Geo stood out for its astronomical prices, with titles ranging from 150 to 300 euros, even reaching up to 600 euros when adjusted to today’s standards.
Given these facts, the question arises: is gaming more expensive or cheaper than ever? If we analyze prices without considering inflation, the answer is clear: buying a video game has become more expensive. However, if we take into account the size of games and their relationship with inflation, current costs are significantly lower. The expansion of storage space, as seen in titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, whose massive file size has caused many players to choose which games to keep on their consoles, highlights that, despite price increases, the cost per megabyte is still much lower than in past decades.
In conclusion, while factors such as tariff wars and the rising cost of living are refocusing the debate on video game prices, experts like Shawn Layden, former head of PlayStation, argue that each new generation should be accompanied by a price hike. However, users have voiced their disagreement on social media, emphasizing that while prices have risen, the cost per megabyte proves that gaming has never been cheaper.
