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curl-6 on 16 April 2025
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Zippy6 said:
curl-6 said:

$300 in 2017 dollars is $391 today, so Switch 2 is really not much more expensive adjusting for inflation.

Inflation comparisons, especially for gaming, just don't work. The 20gb 360 launched for $399 in 2005. Adjusting for inflation that would be $650. Arguing the Switch 2 isn't much more expensive than the Switch 1 because of inflation is like arguing the PS5 Pro isn't much more expensive than the Xbox 360.

The $599 PS3 was horrifically expensive in 2006, but an inflationary equivalent price of $949 today would be viewed even worse. If you released games at $100-$120 today, equivalent for many n64 titles, you would be lynched.

To be clear I don't have an issue with the Switch 2 hardware pricing, and I think it will be completely sold out this year, but inflation comparisons for the prices of games and hardware just don't work. The Switch 2 at $449 is not going to be perceived as being not much more than the $299 Switch 1 launched at just because of 8 years of inflation.

Perception is beside the point, the simple fact is that things don't cost the same now as they did in 2017 because the value of our currency has degraded.

Expecting a console to cost the same now as it did almost a decade ago just isn't realistic.