How Much Did the GameCube Cost at Launch in 2001?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The GameCube launch price was $199.95 when the Nintendo GameCube went on sale in North America on November 18, 2001. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $379.77 in September 2026 money, roughly 1.9 times the original price.
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Nintendo GameCube at a glance
- US launch price
- $199.95
- In today’s money
- ≈ $379.77November 2001 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- November 18, 2001
- Where it was designed
- Kyoto, JapanDesigned by Nintendo in Kyoto, Japan.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- worthplaying.com
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
Why $199.95?
Nintendo priced the GameCube $100 below the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox, which both cost $299.99. It came in two colours, black (“Jet”) and purple (“Indigo”), and had a carry handle on the back.
Even the price was unusual. Most consoles ended in .99, but Nintendo chose $199.95.
The GameCube launch price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 2001. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the GameCube launch price of $199.95 works out at about $379.77 in September 2026 money, around 1.9 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what a GameCube sells for second-hand.
“Hotter than Potter”
The GameCube arrived in America three days after the Xbox. Nintendo said shoppers spent more than $98 million on GameCube consoles, games and accessories on the first day alone. The first Harry Potter film had opened in cinemas the same weekend, so Nintendo’s press release was headlined “Hotter than Potter”.
Nintendo shipped about 700,000 consoles to shops for the launch and promised 1.1 million by Christmas.
When was the GameCube released?
- Japan: September 14, 2001
- North America: November 18, 2001
- Europe: May 3, 2002
Where was the GameCube designed?
Nintendo designed it in Kyoto, Japan, under the codename “Dolphin”. IBM made its processor and ArtX, a company later bought by ATI, designed its graphics chip. Games came on small 8 cm discs, which were harder to copy than normal DVDs.
GameCube facts you might not know
- Launch games included Luigi’s Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II and Wave Race: Blue Storm. There was no new Mario game at launch.
- Nintendo cut the price to $149.99 in 2002 and to $99.99 in 2003.
- In Japan, Panasonic sold a version called the Q that could also play DVDs.
- Nintendo sold about 21.7 million GameCubes, fewer than the Xbox.
Frequently asked questions
How much was a GameCube in 2001?
The Nintendo GameCube cost $199.95 when it launched in North America on November 18, 2001.
How much is $199.95 from 2001 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the GameCube’s $199.95 launch price is about $379.77 in September 2026 money.
Was the GameCube cheaper than the PS2 and Xbox?
Yes. It cost $199.95, while the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox both cost $299.99.
When did the GameCube come out in the UK?
It launched in the UK and Europe on May 3, 2002.
Want to compare the GameCube launch price with similar launches? See what the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox and the PlayStation 2 cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play the GameCube question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
- Press release: Nintendo, Nintendo GameCube Hotter Than Potter (November 2001, via WorthPlaying)
- Wikipedia: GameCube
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)