While most people know that there’s a market for collectible video games, what flies under the radar is the one for gaming consoles. There’s a community that collects specific consoles, and some of the harder-to-find ones can get pricey, as they’re often limited-edition models in very few numbers, prototypes, or one-of-a-kind models made for specific customers. There are hundreds of worthy collectible video game consoles, so we looked at a bunch and found five that top most people’s lists, arranged by their scarcity and potential value at the time of writing.
Videos by ComicBook.com
1) Hot Summer Peach DS
From July 1 to August 31, 2005, a Japanese Club Nintendo campaign offered a series of Hot Summer prizes, including a special version of the Nintendo DS. Only 200 of the Princess Peach DSs were made for this contest, so they’re not easy to find in the wild. As a result, they’re highly sought-after and incredibly expensive. They tend to go for around $8,300 out of the box, but if the box and manual are included, the price can rise to around $15,000. You can occasionally find them on eBay every so often, but with only 200 of the Hot Summer Peach DSs in existence, they’re hard to come by.
2) Shadow of the Tomb Raider Xbox One X
To celebrate National Dog Day and the release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, teams from Microsoft and Square Enix got together and created a custom Xbox One X in the style of the game. That means that there’s only one of these, and it’s decked out with ancient Mayan symbols, vines, moss, and more, which makes it look as cool as possible. The system was produced to raise money for charity and auctioned off for $8,300 to benefit the Best Friends Animal Society, which works to end cat and dog euthanasia in shelters.
3) The Atari Cosmos
Back in 1978, Atari, Inc. began developing a handheld console called the Atari Cosmos, which was a truly innovative system. It used the standard LED-based display common at the time, but superimposed a holographic image over it for an additional visual effect. This produced a more lifelike 3D image, which was pretty impressive for the time, and Atari geared up to produce around 250 units before the project was scrapped. Despite its cancellation, nine games were developed, and as a result, the Atari Cosmos became a coveted, incredibly rare collector’s item. They tend to sell for around $26,000 when they pop up at auction.
4) The Nintendo PlayStation
The reason PlayStation exists is that Nintendo backed out of a planned deal to use Sony’s optical drive with the Super Nintendo. Instead, Nintendo abandoned the plan, later released the Nintendo 64 with a cartridge-based system, and Sony released the PlayStation. Despite the split, the Nintendo PlayStation prototype was developed, and around 200 units were produced, though only two are known to still exist. It’s one of the most sought-after consoles ever made, selling for $360,000 in 2020, earning a Guinness World Record for the most expensive video game console sold at an online auction. PriceCharting lists the new price at $1.6 million, though it’s unclear if any unopened versions actually exist.
5) The Nintendo Wii Supreme
The Nintendo Wii sold for $249.99 when it was released in 2006, but that didn’t stop Stuart Hughes from creating three limited edition versions called the Nintendo Wii Supreme. These are literally made of gold — 22-karat gold to be exact. Hughes packed 2,500 grams of the shiny stuff into the Wii Supreme, which sold for £299,995 (about $365,000). Gold wasn’t the only expensive material used in its construction, as several flawless diamonds, totaling 19.5 karats, were also used. The Wii Supreme is the most expensive console ever made, costing around $200,000 in raw materials alone, but people have bought and sold them since their release.
What’s the rarest console you’ve ever owned? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Ufotable -
Image Courtesy of Crunchyroll
