Gaming has been around for ages now and is still highly popular among gamers all over the world. Gaming unravels an immersive world filled with enticing quests and adventures, challenging us to a whole different level.
Many adult gamers of modern-day society grew up with retro gaming consoles, which hold a special place in their hearts.
Getting to own the consoles, which introduced them to the world of gaming, is itself a privilege and provides a sense of enthrallment and nostalgia for them.
Furthermore, owning vintage game consoles is always a delightful pleasure for gaming enthusiasts and collectors.
Therefore, in this blog, I shall discuss how much are some of the old consoles worth today and why they are still on the popularity rise, along with their benefits!
Let’s get into it right away, shall we?
Value of Beloved Older Consoles: Identifying Price Differences
Well, to be very straightforward with the popped-up question, I’d say hold that thought for a second.
It’s because every retro handheld console has its own importance, both historically and strategically, and therefore, it is pretty reasonable to say that the prices can actually vary. Some can be worth $100 of dollars, but they can be pricy, even making their way up to over $1000!
There isn’t necessarily a specified price that a group of consoles can be allocated to because, again, it entirely depends upon the model, its availability in today’s gaming industry, and how old as well as popular that particular gaming console had been during its days.
Before we delve into the topic, it’s worthwhile to get a closer look at a summarized table, which takes into account some of the gaming consoles, their year of release, and their price.
| Gaming Consoles | Year of Release | Price |
| SEGA Dreamcast | 1998 | $90.00 |
| PlayStation 1 | 1994 | $89.99 |
| Sega Genesis | 1998 | $40 to $80 |
| Game Boy w/ Tetris | 1998 | $200 |
| Microsoft Xbox One | 2013 | $127 |
| Red Pokemon Game Boy Micro | 2005 | $2000 |
| Nintendo 64 – Original | 1996 | $3600 |
There is obviously a huge number of such retro gaming consoles, some of which you can easily find on eBay!
Now, the question arises of why there is such a difference between the prices of the older gaming consoles. Therefore, it is imperative that we walk through a few examples and outline relevant reasons for their price tags.
For instance, you have to pay over $500 for an E.V.O cartridge for your Super Nintendo. The same goes for buying a Pokémon Stadium N64 Battle Set, while if you want to buy an Atari 7800, you can easily get it for less than $100.
Following is a list of factors that determine the low or high price of the consoles:
- The rarity of the gaming consoles, namely those carrying a vintage collector’s potential, is more expensive.
- Degradation of the older technologies in the market generates a high demand.
- The level of their popularity in their peak early days.
The higher the rarity, the greater the worth.
The old retro gaming consoles, such as the Nintendo 64 and the Original, can have a price tag of over $3000 dollars, while the Super Nintendo goes up to over $800. Meanwhile, the Nintendo PlayStation (original collector item) is worth $360,000!
These two consoles marked a revolutionary success in the gaming console industry in that era. It sold millions and millions of copies all across the globe. Many adult gamers today grew up with these gaming consoles.
They were released back in the 90s, which is more or less three decades old! It’s not surprising to see that such products have gone out of style in the marketing industry, and therefore, gaming consoles like these, which are extremely rare and have no sign of massive production, adopt the title of being vintage collector’s items.
They’re delightful collector’s items for gaming enthusiasts and collectors, which is why their prices are insanely high when most of them are usually cheaper and don’t go above a thousand dollars.
Degradation of older technology
It’s a hard and fast rule that the older the technology gets, it gets closer and closer to becoming obsolete at some point. Then, what’s the point of using it anyway?
This can be explained by the mere fact that the older gaming consoles had cartridges to store the data back in the old days. However, since the advancement in technology and new innovative ideas were brought into effect, it has been quite rare to find discs and cartridges to be in the production site.
This suggests that such items have indeed been replaced, but they do hold some form of historical importance, which increases their value and elevates their price to new heights.
Besides, many people, especially older ones, prefer to use the conventional and out-of-style gaming accessories that they are used to, given that the cartridges are reliable and do not fail over time.
Therefore, with lesser mass production, it’s natural to see an inherent rise in the price.
The extent of acclaimed popularity
For those whose prices go up to over $100 dollars or even up to a thousand, it’s truly dependent on the fact of its level of fame. For instance, Sony PlayStation 2 Slim can go up to over $200 because the company is Sony and, therefore, has a marked legacy since the very start.
Similarly, GameCube Gameboy goes up to $ 175, as it earned an immense reputation back when it was released, and still is quite wanted by gamers.
Therefore, the popularity and legacy of gaming companies play a pivotal role in the determination of prices.
Is Buying Old Gaming Consoles Worth It?
It’s fascinating to have a much wider understanding of what leads common gamers to buy old consoles and its positive impact on them.
I mean, as a gamer myself, I get chills when I get to play PS1 for a long time because it opens up a portal to relive those playful memories.
Therefore, let’s have a deeper understanding of why gamers choose to have old consoles and the merits associated with them.
- Promotes a sense of nostalgia.
- Gives access to a huge game library full of retro games.
- Most of them are suitable for a low budget.
Generating a feeling of nostalgia among adult gamers:
As mentioned earlier, old consoles possess historical importance, contemporary with the fact that the adults of today grew up playing with such consoles with their friends, and hence, these consoles of the early days became the reason for the peak of the success of gaming and immense fandom.
It’s not wrong to say that older consoles have the ability to capture those playful memories in your mind, promoting a sense of nostalgia.
They provide a gateway to revisit your childhood gaming experience and feel a delightful pleasure after playing with them again.
The retro soundtrack will serve as therapy music for them, taking back to a time when life was simpler and not as busy as it gets once you become an adult.
Hence, old consoles are worth the purchase for this very reason: attracting a very loyal and dedicated gaming fanbase.
Easy access to a huge retro game library
Retro gaming is still very popular among adult gamers, and the classic upbeat associated with it appeals to everyone.
However, getting to play retro games on modern consoles is somewhat a difficult task because you have to download various compatible software, find a good emulator to run those games, and you may not be able to play all OG retro games, as many of them might not be made available in any form of gaming model.
Then, why not buy a GameCube or Sega’s oldest console itself, and play the best retro games you want to without any hassle?
Suitable for those looking for low-budget consoles
We have come across old consoles with major price differences. However, you can easily find a very large number of older consoles sold at a low cost and reasonable price on eBay.
It serves its purpose well when you have a low budget and also fulfills a range of personal preferences, lasting for long-term usage!
Conclusion
- Gaming has been a source of enthralling entertainment for many ages now, and it still continues to grow and prosper.
- Old consoles are still in huge demand to this date due to their simple gameplay design and their historical importance.
- Older consoles have a range of prices, some at a low cost while others are ridiculously high priced, depending on the following factors: the rarity of the game console, its popularity level, and the lowering production of older video game technology, which automatically increases its demand among gamers.
- Buying old consoles is worth the shot as it can derive benefits for the gamers such as inculcating a sense of nostalgia, authorized yet easier access to a retro game library, and the availability of such consoles at low prices yet durable for long-term use, ideal for those having a low budget to spend.