How Much Did the Original PlayStation Cost?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The PlayStation 1 launch price was $299 when it went on sale in North America on September 9, 1995. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $657.60 in September 2026 money, roughly 2.2 times the original price.
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PlayStation (PS1) at a glance
- US launch price
- $299
- In today’s money
- ≈ $657.60September 1995 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- September 9, 1995
- Where it was designed
- Aoyama, Minato Ward, Tokyo, JapanDeveloped by Sony Computer Entertainment in Tokyo, 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.
“Two ninety-nine”: the price that beat Sega
Sony revealed the price at the first E3 trade show in May 1995. Sega had just announced that its Saturn console was going on sale immediately for $399. Then Sony’s Steve Race walked on stage, said “Two ninety-nine,” and walked off to applause.
A $100 lower price, a strong library of games and marketing aimed at teenagers and adults helped the PlayStation outsell the Saturn. In 1996 both consoles were cut to $199.
The PlayStation 1 launch price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 1995. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original PlayStation 1 launch price of $299 works out at about $657.60 in September 2026 money, around 2.2 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the PlayStation sells for second-hand.
When was the PlayStation released?
- Japan: December 3, 1994
- North America: September 9, 1995
- Europe: September 29, 1995
Where was the PlayStation developed?
Sony Computer Entertainment designed the PlayStation in Tokyo, Japan, led by engineer Ken Kutaragi. Some development was done in the United Kingdom, including by Psygnosis in Liverpool, which Sony bought in 1993. The project grew out of a failed partnership with Nintendo to build a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo.
PlayStation facts you might not know
- It was the first home games console to ship more than 100 million units.
- Using CDs instead of cartridges made games cheaper to produce and moved the whole industry away from cartridges.
- More than 4,000 PlayStation games were released, including Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo and Crash Bandicoot.
- Sony kept making it until March 23, 2006, more than 11 years after launch.
Frequently asked questions
How much was the PS1 when it came out?
The PlayStation cost $299 in North America when it launched on September 9, 1995. In Japan it had launched on December 3, 1994.
How much is $299 from 1995 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the PlayStation’s $299 launch price is about $657.60 in September 2026 money.
Why was the PlayStation cheaper than the Sega Saturn?
Sony set its price at $299 to undercut the Saturn’s $399, announcing it at E3 in May 1995 straight after Sega revealed the Saturn’s price.
Want to compare the PlayStation 1 launch price with other launch prices? See what the NES 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.
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