How Much Did the Nintendo Wii Cost at Launch?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Nintendo Wii launch price was $249.99 when it launched in the United States on November 19, 2006, with Wii Sports included. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $418.02 in September 2026 money, roughly 1.7 times the original price.
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Wii at a glance
- US launch price
- $249.99
- In today’s money
- ≈ $418.02November 2006 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- November 19, 2006
- Where it was designed
- Kyoto, JapanDesigned by Nintendo in Kyoto, Japan.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- en.wikipedia.org
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 the Wii was cheaper than its rivals
Nintendo chose not to compete with Microsoft and Sony on raw computing power. Shigeru Miyamoto later said he had originally wanted a machine that cost $100. Simpler hardware kept the Wii and its games cheaper to make than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The Wii was in short supply at launch in many places. Nintendo cut the price to $199.99 in September 2009.
The Nintendo Wii launch price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 2006. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Nintendo Wii launch price of $249.99 works out at about $418.02 in September 2026 money, around 1.7 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Wii sells for second-hand.
When was the Wii released?
- North America: November 19, 2006
- Japan: December 2, 2006, for ¥25,000
- Australia and New Zealand: December 7, 2006
- United Kingdom: December 8, 2006, for £179.99
Where was the Wii designed?
Nintendo designed it in Kyoto, Japan. Development was led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda under president Satoru Iwata, with the codename “Revolution”.
Wii facts you might not know
- The Wii Remote tracked motion and could be used as a pointer, so players swung it like a tennis racket or a sword.
- It was Nintendo’s first console that could connect to the internet without an add-on.
- Wii Sports, which came in the box, became its best-known game.
- More than 101 million were sold. It was discontinued in October 2013.
Frequently asked questions
How much was a Wii in 2006?
The Wii cost $249.99 in the United States when it launched on November 19, 2006, with Wii Sports.
How much is $249.99 from 2006 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Wii’s launch price is about $418.02 in September 2026 money.
How many Wii consoles were sold?
More than 101 million.
Want to compare the Nintendo Wii launch price with other launch prices? See what the Atari 2600 launch cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this 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, Wii US price and launch date (14 September 2006), reprinted by Nintendo World Report
- Wikipedia: Wii
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)