Game hardware is now $200 more expensive on average than it was in 2019, according to industry analyst: "It could potentially be catastrophic"

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of the Switch 2 sitting on a wooden table with accessories sitting around it. — (Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

Anyone who's recently purchased a new video game console probably suspects what market research company Circana just confirmed: this stuff is getting expensive. About $200 more expensive on average, actually.

"The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware in the US during November 2019 was $235. In November 2025, it was $439," Circana video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella writes on Bluesky.

The average price paid for a new unit of video game hardware in the US during November 2019 was $235. In November 2025 it was $439. 3.9 million units of video game hardware sold in the US in November 2019. In November 2025 it was 1.6 million. Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service
— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T17:25:29.191Z

Unsurprisingly, this price hike has impacted how many people are willing to slap down their cash for hardware. Piscatella continues to say that, while "3.9 million units of video game hardware sold in the US in November 2019," only 1.6 million units shipped in November 2025.

Part of me wants to hear this frightening fact as good news. While it is concerning to hear that an industry already swollen with layoffs is suffering from poor sales, it seems crucial for manufacturers to know that they cannot keep benefitting from extreme price increases forever. Or as Piscatella says, "Correlation does not necessarily imply causation... unless it does."

But Wirecutter editor Arthur Gies asks Piscatella on Bluesky, "How do they lower prices with tariffs and a sharp increase in [bill of materials]?" and Piscatella has a scary answer. "They likely cannot and will not."

He continues, "And if we see sharp upticks in pricing because of components, it could potentially be catastrophic for the dedicated gaming device market." Oh, great.

AAA games like the $70 Ghost of Yotei are really just for "more affluent people," says analyst, as soaring prices push players toward free games and Fortnite: "People just don't realize, because they're not paying attention."