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.

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.