Games · Xbox · PlayStation
Every console got more expensive this year — here's what they cost now, and why
Switch 2 is $499.99, Xbox Series X $799.99, PS5 disc $649.99. The same memory shortage is behind all of them. Current prices and what's driving them.
Stated by the maker, publisher, or platform holder.
Consoles are supposed to get cheaper as they age. In 2026 every major one went the other way. Nintendo's Switch 2 was the last to move, rising on 1 September, and it means every current console now costs more than it did at launch.
What everything costs now
| Console | Launch price | Price now |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 | $449.99 | $499.99 (from 1 Sept) |
| Xbox Series X | $499.99 | $799.99 (from 1 Aug) |
| Xbox Series S | — | $499.99 (from 1 Aug) |
| PS5 (disc) | $499.99 | $649.99 |
| PS5 Pro | $699.99 | $699.99 |
Nintendo has also moved its first-party games to $79.99. And it isn't only consoles: Valve's Steam Machine launched at $1,049 in June and its Steam Frame headset at $1,059, both above where Valve reportedly aimed. Apple raised the iPhone 17 from $799 to $899 on 9 September.
Why: it's the memory
Every one of these increases has the same root cause, and Microsoft spelled it out more clearly than anyone.
Consoles are unusually exposed. Their price is fixed for years while the cost of the memory and storage inside them has more than doubled — driven by AI data centres buying up supply, as we covered in the memory crisis explained. Nintendo's president estimated the hit to Switch 2 production costs at around 100 billion yen, roughly $600 million, and said even the price rise wouldn't cover it.
What to do about it
No holiday price cuts are announced. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo each raised prices this year and none has signalled a discount before the end of 2026. Waiting for Black Friday on the hardware itself is unlikely to pay off; bundles are more likely than price drops.
Switch 2 is still the cheapest way in at $499.99 — and it doubles as a handheld.
The Series X at $799.99 is the hardest to justify. It's a 2020 console priced like a high-end PC part. Game Pass is the reason to buy into Xbox now, and the Series S gets you there for $300 less.
If you're buying for GTA 6 on 19 November, you need a PS5 or an Xbox Series console — the Switch 2 isn't getting it. At current prices, the PS5 disc at $649.99 and the Series S at $499.99 are the two realistic options.
If Microsoft's forecast is right, this isn't the peak. Memory costs are expected to keep rising into 2027, and next-generation consoles are being designed into that market.