The retro video game market is driven by three things; nostalgia, rarity, and speculation. Each drives unique segments of the retro gaming market and explains many of the outrageous price fluctuations you see between similar products. If you want to properly understand what you should pay for retro video games today you must first understand how each of these three factors create value within the retro gaming market and drive prices of retro games up and down.
Over the last decade alone the price of retro video games has increased exponentially. Games that may have only sold for $30 in 1995 could be worth $200+ today. This is just an average price though, some retro video games can be worth thousands while others can be had for just a couple hundred dollars. There are also many variables to consider such as condition and edition. A full fledged set of retro video games that includes the case and original manuals will cost you significantly more than the same game sold without. You could spend hundreds of dollars for a complete SNES game that includes the original box and manual. However, you can also purchase that same game as a loose cartridge for $10. The same game can even vary in price depending on the platform. To understand how these extreme differences in price of retro video games are possible you must first understand what creates value in the retro gaming market.
The three major drivers of retro video game prices are:
- Condition
- Rarity
- Platform
Condition is by far the biggest factor when determining value of a retro video game. A game in mint condition with all original packaging and manuals will cost you exponentially more than the same game in loose form. A full copy of Donkey Kong Country for example can cost you around $120 if its in mint condition, but if you were to buy the same game in loose form, you could get it for $20. Condition is the sole reason there is a price difference at all. Because collectors place value in the preservation of these games, they are willing to pay much more. However, if you’re a gamer and not a collector that cares about preserving your games, you can get the same gaming experience for a fraction of the price.
Rarity is another large driver of price when it comes to retro video games. Rarity creates the baseline value of the game itself. Common games will be priced lower than rare games. Games for popular consoles such as the NES will cost less then less common games from the same system. A game like Super Mario Bros. for NES is extremely common because of the platforms popularity. You can buy a loose copy for around $10-$15. Earthbound for SNES on the other hand is considered rare and loose copies can go for $200+. The games are identical, but because one is more scarce than the other, collectors are willing to pay more. Rarity is also sometimes artificially created, like in the previous example. Nintendo literally produced billions of copies of Super Mario Bros., while only a few million copies of Earthbound were ever produced. Therefore Earthbound is considered rare while Super Mario Bros. is not.
Platform can also heavily effect the price of a game. The game itself may be the same, but if it was released on multiple platforms the prices can be vastly different. Taking a game that was released for both the SNES and Genesis for example, it may cost you $100 to complete the game for SNES, but only $30 to complete for Genesis. This is because one is more commonly collected than the other.
Lastly what affects the price of retro video games are system tiers. Games that were released for Nintendo will typically be more expensive than the same game released for another console. Nintendo consoles tend to have the highest prices because they’re the most popular with collectors. Playstation, Sega, and Arcade games will usually be the cheapest because they’re the least popular with collectors. Xbox falls in the middle.
Of course there are many exceptions to these rules. Certain platforms are more popular than others and certain game series demand higher collector value. If you own an N64 that you got for $100, dont expect to be able to sell it for $100 because someone else is going to be buying it new for $60. The preceding factors will affect games on each system equally however.
What also affects value is the value of the individual game series. Single games are worth less than games that are part of a valued series. A random FPS will cost you less than a FPS in the Halo series. Each game system also has tiers within collecting editions. A normal game may be priced a certain way, but if there was a limited edition of the game it will demand higher prices.
Another small factor that affects price are black label vs Greatest Hits games. Black label games were sold through normal retail channels, while Greatest Hits copies were released at a later date and usually sold as part of a promotion. The game is literally the exact same in both copies, but collectors prefer original black label versions.
Average Price of Retro Video Games Based on System
- NES:
- $5 Loose, Common ($10-$20 Loose, Common)
- $20-$100 Complete, Uncommon ($100-$300 Complete, Rare)
- $500+ Complete, Extremely Rare
- SNES:
- $5 Loose, Common ($20-$40 Loose, Common)
- $20-$50 Complete, Uncommon ($50-$100 Complete, Rare)
- $200-$500 Complete, Extremely Rare
- N64:
- Prices tend to be Generally higher than PSX and Sega, but lower than Dreamcast.
- $20-$100 Loose, Common ($40-$60 Loose, Common)
- $50-$150 Complete, Uncommon ($100-$250 Complete, Rare)
- $200-$500 Complete, Extremely Rare
- PSX:
- Prices tend to be lower than the other three systems listed above.
- $5 Loose, Common ($10-$20 Loose, Common)
- $10-$20 Complete, Uncommon ($20-$50 Complete, Rare)
- $50-$100 Complete, Extremely Rare
- Dreamcast:
- Prices tend to be Generally higher than PSX and Sega, but lower than N64.
- $20-$100 Loose, Common ($40-$60 Loose, Common)
- $50-$150 Complete, Uncommon ($100-$250 Complete, Rare)
- $200-$500 Complete, Extremely Rare
Retro Video Game Price Trends
Overall video game prices have been on a steady incline. Modernretro video games aren’t going anywhere, and as they age they’ll continue to increase in price. Some of this increase is due to natural reasons such as games becoming harder to find functioning in their original cartridges, but much of it is speculation. People buyretro video games expecting the value to increase in the future, essentially using them as an investment. This demand will gradually drive prices higher than they would be if they were solely based on true scarcity.
Historical Transparency of Prices
Before eBay and online retailers became commonplace,prices were not very transparent. You were mostly subject to the prices around you locally. Once retailers came online, everyone could finally see what games were going for on average. Prices across the board rose as under priced items that were selling locally for low prices due to lack of competition, were now upgraded to meet the prices that collectors were paying on auction sites.
Grading Services Impact
Grading services have had a big impact on the retro video game market. Professional grading services allow collectors to get their games graded for authenticity and condition. Not only does this give sellers something to prove their games condition, but now collectors can pay 2-3 times the price on a professionally graded game that has been sealed and graded. The game itself is no better or different than a non graded copy, but collectors are willing to pay more for that extra reassurance.
Celebrities Influence Price
When celebrities stream retro video games or mention them on social media, prices can increase. If a movie or tv show features an older video game, expect to see collector interest and prices increase on that title. As more mainstream celebrities reference older video games, more everyday people will begin collecting.
What You Can Actually Buy for the Money
If your buying retro video games to actually play them, you’ll likely be buying loose cartridges. Prices on these will range from $10 to $100+ depending on the system and games rarity. If your shopping around locally and willing to wait for deals you can likely find retro video games for cheap. I’ve found better deals locally and through Facebook marketplace than I can on eBay because local sellers don’t typically care about listing for the highest collector price.
If your buying retro video games to collect them, you’ll pay significantly more. Expect to pay $50-$300+ per game again depending on system and rarity. Some games will cost you $1,000+. Obviously when your buying to collect you’re paying for the preservation and completeness of the game. Whether or not that $1,000 game is worth that money all depends if you’re a collector or a player.
Prices for players and collectors do not overlap at all. If your a collector that plays you’ll likely pay just about whatever for a game since you have no intention of selling it. But if your strictly a collector or strictly a player the prices for games can be night and day. Now that you understand these variables you should have a general idea what you should be paying for retro video games.
Playing Retro Games Cheaply
If your looking to play retro video games without spending an arm and a leg you have a few options. Your best bet is to either emulate those games or buy them originally through the Nintendo Switch Online service. Emulation and digital releases are by far the cheapest ways to enjoy retro video games. Collecting physical games is by far the most expensive.
The Market Has Diverged into Two Groups
As you can tell by now, the retro gaming market has expanded to mainly two types of people; collectors and players. Collectors will spend as much money as needed to get a game that’s preserved completely. Players on the other hand are just looking for the cheapest option to play games. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a huge overlap of gamers that also collect, but when you’re strictly one you can easily pay 10 times more or less for the same game.
When trying to determine prices you must ask yourself, who are these prices for? You can’t compare Nintendo console prices to Sega prices because the collector base and demand for Nintendo is through the roof. Unless you’re specifically looking for prices for collectors or players, all averages are virtually meaningless.
Predicting Future Price Trends
Predicting future price trends is fairly simple. As long as there is growing demand for older consoles that are still gaining popularity, the prices will continue to go up. For example, Nintendo consoles will always be the highest priced because they are in highest demand by collectors. As newer consoles become older and gain that retro status, their prices will likely start to rise as well.
However, systems that have reached their peek in popularity and are starting to decline will likely begin to drop in price. This happened to Playstation, Dreamcast, and N64 within the past decade. Prices for these systems inflated rapidly, than rose to meet their true value, and now we’re currently in a phase where those that bought at the high will be forced to sell at a loss. Eventually every speculative bubble bursts and those that decided to collect overvalued retro video games will have to sell for whatever they can.
As newer systems become retro collector interest will shift to those consoles. GamesCube and the original Xbox are two examples of systems that are only gaining value as more people begin collecting retro video games. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wii follows soon after as more people realise how rare their games actually are. And of course as less and less people care about older systems, their prices should level out and eventually drop.
Hardware Failure Will Drive Prices Higher
Another reason older consoles will continue to rise in price is hardware failure. The older the NES, SNES, and Genesis consoles get the more units will stop working over time. As less and less functional NES systems are found, the value of that console will increase. Because if you’re looking to collect these older games you’ll need a functioning console to play them on.
Practical Reality of Buying/Selling Retro Video Games
Whether your looking to buy retro games to play or sell them once you’re done, understand that prices will be high. If your looking to play retro video games and not bother with collecting them, your best bet is to buy loose cartridges locally. Emulate them if your able. If your looking to collect I recommend doing your research before dropping $1000 on a single game. Prices of retro video games are high because people value them that much. Especially as an original copy continues to decrease in availability.
Timothy discovered retro gaming at forty and never looked back. A construction foreman by day and collector by night, he writes from a fresh, nostalgia-free angle—exploring classic games with adult curiosity, honest takes, and zero childhood bias.
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