The gaming industry has tried to convince us that $80 is the new normal for video games. It’s not working.
Microsoft and Nintendo both tested that price point for major releases. Microsoft wanted to sell The Outer Worlds 2 for $79.99. Meanwhile Mario Kart World was sold at the same price as a bundle with the Nintendo Switch 2. While Mario Kart World sold over 5.6 million copies in its first month, Microsoft was forced to lower the price for Outer Worlds 2 down to the standard $69.99 due to backlash.
Only a handful of games can get away with such high prices. Mario Kart World sold well because it’s a popular franchise on a new console. Most games don’t have that kind of pull, and publishers are learning that the hard way.
The Price Gamers Are Willing to Pay
While big studios obsess over $80 price tags, the games people are actually buying keep getting cheaper.
Look at Steam. If you’ve purchased a game in the past 18 months, you probably spent around $20 or less. Data from GameDiscoverCo shows the median price of top-selling Steam games sits between $10 and $20.
From February 2023 to October 2025, the average amount spent per bestselling game dropped 2%. The median price fell 20%. Revenue per title went down about 14%, from $23.75 to $20.35. This is happening despite inflation making everything else more expensive.
Why Cheaper Games Are Winning
With everything getting so expensive amidst worries over the economy, gamers are putting their foot down.
Some are buying older titles at a discount instead of recent releases. Another way gamers are pushing back is to purchase cheaper games made by smaller, independent studios and developers. Hollow Knight: Silksong was priced at $20 and sold over 4.6 million copies in its first month.
We’re in a moment where game publishers are slowly starting to feel pressured to stick with standard prices or even lower prices.
Yet, the desire to raise prices for video games is still there since higher costs equals higher profit margins for companies. However, the number of gamers willing to spend big money on games is shrinking. The top 10% of earners now account for 50% of U.S. retail spending, but overall game spending is down. Spending among 18 to 25 year olds dropped nearly 25% this year.
Then There’s GTA 6…
It’s been rumored that Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch at $80 or even over $100. If GTA 6 actually releases on November 19, 2026 with an $80+ price tag, the industry will be tempted to follow Rockstar Games’ example.
Even if GTA 6 sells millions of copies, that doesn’t mean that everyone believes games should cost $80. GTA has a level of cultural impact and player base that most games will never achieve. People have been waiting for a sequel to GTA 5for years and the game has been delayed twice. Treating it as a benchmark for industry-wide pricing is delusional.
What Happens Next
The indie scene will keep thriving as long as games stay in the $10 to $25 mark. For AAA games, publishers have to make a choice. Are they willing to adapt to what players are actually willing to pay? Or will they keep chasing a fantasy of $80 as the new standard price that only a handful of games can justify? The dream of selling $80 to $100 video games is dying. The industry can either accept that or keep praying that things will go their way.
