Gen Zers Are Collecting Old-School Gaming Consoles -- How Much Money They May Be Sitting On
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a gamer. A whopping 212.3 million Americans, more than two-thirds (67%) of the U.S. population, play video games for at least an hour each week, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Whether you’re into Nintendo’s Switch lineup, Microsoft’s Xbox assortment, Sony’s PlayStation 5, gaming on a PC or enjoying an idle game on your phone, you’re part of a large – and growing – community.
Citing a variety of sources, BGR noted that Gen Zers were particularly interested in gaming on retro consoles as a “respite from the internet,” an escapist oasis in the midst of the modern world. Sentimental value and overall relaxation tied to old-school games were also mentioned as motivators.
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But what about the other side of the coin? Collectors, particularly younger Americans belonging to Gen Z, are turning to gaming console collecting as a hobby – and as a potential pathway to earning some serious cash.
How Much Are Old Gaming Consoles (Like the NES and Sega Genesis) Actually Worth to Collectors?
There’s a hidden benefit to collecting all of these dusty (or even better, not-so-dusty!) relics of gaming’s yesterday – retro game consoles can be worth a pretty penny … if that penny happens to be a rarity, at least.
Let’s start with the more common examples. A loose (no box, no styrofoam inserts, no manuals or advertising materials) Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – for ‘80s and ‘90s kids, this is just the “Nintendo” – is worth about $180, which isn’t bad considering it was worth just $110 only five years ago. The Super Nintendo in the same condition comes in at around $110, while its edgier competitor at the time, the Sega Genesis, is worth only half of that (perhaps $55 loose) – a testament to Nintendo’s everlasting pop-cultural longevity.
And if you have the boxes, inserts and everything else to go along with those consoles, you can expect double, triple or more versus the baseline. Collectors really go bananas (sorry, we couldn’t resist a Donkey Kong joke after all that Nintendo talk) for condition and bundled accessories.
Then we have the oddities that never quite made a huge splash with gamers back in the day – the “odd kids on the old-school gaming block” – including (but not limited to) the Atari Jaguar ($470 loose), Turbografx-16 ($235) and Neo Geo CD ($390). If you haven’t heard of these, don’t worry, most people who weren’t obsessed with video games at the time haven’t either.
When, or if, Gen Z gamers turn their backs on Mario, Sonic and other iconic characters (or at least the vintage versions of them), their consoles could net them a little something for a rainy day fund when it comes time to sell.
But What About the Rarest Retro Gaming Consoles (and Graded Consoles)? What Are They Worth?
Now it’s time to take a look at the sticker prices attached to the heavy hitters in the retro gaming realm. Grading – that is, having a reputable grading company inspect and encapsulate your games, accessories or consoles as a piece of history – is a big deal in collector circles, with video games being no exception.
Here are some of the most notable sales in this category, per Heritage Auctions.
Nintendo Entertainment System Deluxe Set, unopened: This console came with R.O.B., the famous robot accessory, and games. Graded a VGA 85 NM+, it sold for $120,000 in late 2023.
Super Nintendo Control Set, mint uncirculated: Despite being the barebones bundle at the time, this VGA 95-graded SNES pulled in $66,000 in a 2022 sale.
Nintendo Game Boy, sealed: Who didn’t love the strange green screen and tinny sound effects of the classic Game Boy? This one, packaged with Tetris and graded VGA 85 NM+, sold for $21,000 in April 2022.
Microsoft Xbox, sealed, Mountain Dew edition: Yes, the Mountain Dew edition, meaning it was produced in a bright lime-green shell with custom branded badging. Only 5,000 were ever produced, and a VGA 85 NM+ example brought in $15,000 when it went up for sale last year.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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