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- Image of 2025 video games, courtesy of Polygon.

$80 Video Game Prices Climb as Wallets Shrink, Players Pivot

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By David Gilbert | Last updated May 27, 2025 5:20 PM ET

Rising video game prices across the gaming industry have sparked widespread concern, as platform holders escalate prices for hardware, software, and services. Microsoft’s increased costs for Xbox consoles, first-party titles, and accessories, which occurred earlier this month, mirrored Nintendo’s recent £396 Switch 2 announcement paired with £75 Mario Kart World copies. On the flip side, Sony’s PS5 Pro, excluding stands or disc drives, debuted at £700. As executives deflect accountability, how will they justify soaring game prices?

Rising Video Game Prices Impact Gamers

Initially, the U.S. tariffs under the Trump administration were speculated to be the reason these isolated video game prices surged in the American market. However, companies distributed tariff-related costs internationally to avoid drastic spikes in key regions, exposing the global ripple effect of these soaring costs. Specifically, Japan’s PS5 prices now sit £170 above launch figures, further showing how a pre-tariff increase that underscores broader inflationary pressures

Existing frustrations over subscription services like Game Pass and PS Plus creeping upward are further compounded by these increased video game prices. Additionally, the unconfirmed $70-$80 AAA game pricing has only caused more division among gamers. Although these premium prices aren’t directly tied to tariffs, publishers like Gearbox defended these rising costs, leaning on vague economic rhetoric.

This defense for rising video game prices was seen firsthand with Randy Pitchford’s defense of a hypothetical $80 Borderlands 4. When paired with stagnant wages and recession anxieties, this rationale falters, with players left to wonder: When does corporate hedging cross the line into outright exploitation? While platform holders continue to test consumer tolerance, the very audiences fueling its growth are at risk of being alienated by the industry’s pricing strategies.

Gaming Costs Spark Debates Among Consumers

Image of 2025 Anticipated Video Games, courtesy of AIPT.

Debates over rising video game prices often hinge on economic data, with critics pointing to historical precedents like 1990s cartridge costs to argue these high-cost games always existed. However, this issue being reduced to inflation-adjusted spreadsheets risks oversimplification. Although numbers can be objective, they can obscure subjective realities, such as purchasing power disparities or shifting consumer expectations. Interestingly, these rising costs may feel increasingly steep among consumers, but economic data doesn’t reflect the problem.

Behavioral economics may have the answer to these increasingly high video game prices. Rather than being a mere numerical equation, the pricing is seen as a psychological lever, shaped by perceptions of value and fairness. Regardless of what raw data indicates, the mental frameworks that influence spending habits are underscored by concepts like “.99” pricing or “consumer confidence.” Applying a sports analogy can explain these high-cost games, as the “eye test,” where scouts blend stats with instinct, offers a parallel. For instance, an $80 game may “feel” exorbitant, but no inflation chart can negate that visceral reaction.

Tariffs Can’t Explain Rising Game Prices

This dissonance continues to grow alongside rising video game prices, hardware, and subscription costs, with broader inflation squeezing household budgets that are already strained. Furthermore, executives cite tariffs or production costs, as players increasingly gravitate toward free-to-play alternatives, trading upfront expenses for time-intensive grinds. Because of this shift, gaming’s cultural footprint may end up being fractured, resulting in monetized engagement being prioritized over artistic ambition.

Ultimately, the true cost of soaring video game prices may hit more than just wallets, as it shapes how players engage with premium experiences. That is, if they decide to give it a chance, as these rising costs could potentially erode the medium’s diversity. With economic justification and consumer sentiment clashing, long-term loyalty is often dictated by the latter. What’s more, the gaming industry is built on passion, so if this disconnect continues to be ignored, even a single tariff’s financial impact on gamers may pale in comparison.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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