The 10 Most Valuable Retro Video Game Consoles

The current generation of consoles—like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S—represent amazing feats in gaming technology. People couldn’t imagine the power of these machines at one point, and it’s hard not to admire how far the industry has come. 

However, every once in a while, video game enthusiasts crave the consoles of their youth. The Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Atari 2600 took the world by storm in the late 20th century, but they’re not necessarily the most valuable retro gaming systems today.

Clash.gg analyzed the value of old-school consoles on eBay to determine which are currently the most expensive in the U.S. The products surveyed were limited to sixth-generation or older, which includes systems released up to 2001. 

Averagefinder was used to calculate the average eBay price of each system over the last three months. Of the 10 most expensive vintage consoles, the Atari Jaguar CD, Sega Master System, and Atari Jaguar take the top three spots. 

Although it had a short run from 1995 to 1996, the Atari Jaguar CD has an average eBay price of $1082.21, making it the highest-valued retro console in the U.S. That’s a little over seven times the item’s original cost of $149.95. The upgraded version of the original Atari Jaguar came with a CD-ROM and supported just 13 games before it was discontinued. Its truncated history and limited offerings likely led to its increased value over the years.

The Sega Master System comes in second place, running for $509.06 on average today—more than twice its original price in 1985. Though poor sales led to it being pulled from North American markets in 1992, it was a hit in Brazil. The 40-year-old system is still produced and sold there today.

In third place is the original Atari Jaguar at $482.68. It was originally $249.99 when it was released in 1993, and now it’s worth almost double the price. Atari touted the console as the first 64-bit system, but many features—like its confusing design and mediocre games—disappointed buyers.   

You can view every video game console ranking—along with its average eBay price, original retail price, and the original price adjusted for inflation—below.

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