If you bought a game console this generation, especially the PlayStation 3, you are probably relieved to see that launch prices have dropped overall for next-gen consoles. Many couldn’t believe that the PS3’s successor was announced to be sold for two hundred dollars less than it was launched for back in 2006. What’s even more surprising is when inflation is taken into account. Thanks to Ars Technica, we can see how valuable the PlayStation 4’s price tag really is.
As you can see in the chart below, consoles throughout history are shown at their original price point in green and what that equivalent monetary value would be today. With inflation taken into account, the PlayStation 4 is almost three hundred dollars cheaper than its older sibling. The Xbox One, although set to release at one hundred dollars more than the Xbox 360, is actually only twenty-three dollars more when inflation is considered.
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In comparison with some past systems, particularly the Neo Geo (released 1991) and the 3DO (released 1993) with a current price equivalence of over $1000, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are two of the cheaper consoles to be released in gaming history.
What do you make of the chart data? Which of these systems did you get on release? Were you one of the people who bought the Neo Geo or 3DO? Let us know in the comments below.