Watch: are games consoles becoming more expensive?

Xbox One S

If you've been a gamer for some time, you'll know that the cost of your favorite hobby has fluctuated throughout the years. In the 80s, it was all about beefy desk-hoggers like the Commodore 64 until affordable consoles such as the NES arrived. PC gaming found its feet in the 90s, while a three-way tussle for the console crown played out between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo throughout the following decade.

With the recent launch of the Xbox One S, along with whisperings that Nintendo wants its upcoming NX console to be affordable, we've been asking the question of whether or not games consoles have become more expensive over the years.

To find out, we headed down to the Power Up exhibition at London's Science Museum to wallow in gaming's glorious past. After we tore ourselves away from playing Toki, PaperBoy and Banjo Kazooie for the best part of an hour, we compared the launch prices of several classic consoles to discover what they would set you back if released in the past year. And yes - that's after taking inflation (the rate of increase in prices for goods and services) into account.

So, has gaming got more expensive over time? Check out the video below to find out.

Kane Fulton
Kane has been fascinated by the endless possibilities of computers since first getting his hands on an Amiga 500+ back in 1991. These days he mostly lives in realm of VR, where he's working his way into the world Paddleball rankings in Rec Room.
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