The Rarest Games Consoles (& How Much They’re Worth)

Summary

• Rare video game consoles are valuable collector’s items that can fetch high prices, such as the Sharp Game Television.
• Limited editions like the Pikachu N64 set and Cuphead Xbox One S command high prices due to their exclusivity.
• Unique collaborations, like the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Xbox One X, can result in extremely rare and expensive consoles.

Video game consoles are often called collector’s items, but only a few really live up to that title. Sure, there are hundreds of millions of PS4s and Xbox Ones throughout the world, so those can’t really be considered as such. But when special collector’s editions, custom-made consoles, and rare consoles from the past are taken into account, it’s easy to see what an extensive and expensive hobby console collecting can become.

Many of these consoles are beautiful, or key parts of gaming history, but anybody hoping to get their hands on them all is going to have to pay a pretty penny; assuming, that is, that they can even find them for sale. These are some of the rarest video game consoles on the market, and how much they’re worth.

Updated December 30, 2024, by David Heath: Collecting video games and gaming hardware isn’t particularly easy, especially nowadays. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns saw a huge jump in retro game prices, and few have dropped back down over time. Even relatively modern retro consoles, like the PS3 and Xbox 360, still go for 3 figures for complete sets.

Still, gamers can still find a good bargain for big-name consoles, since they’re all over the place. Even older machines like the NES, ZX Spectrum, and Atari 2600 might turn up at a yard sale or a store tucked away somewhere. Others are much harder to find and even more difficult to afford. That is why this list has been updated with a few more rare machines, from specially-branded Gamecubes and Xbox 360s to machines that were too ahead of their time to catch on during their day.

Prices are sourced from PriceCharting.com except where noted.

26

This Is Cool Sega Saturn

Putting a Price on Coolness

The “This Is Cool” Sega Saturn was a model of the Skeleton Saturn line. These were the final Saturn models to be produced, and they are distinguished by their see-through bodies, which was the style at the time. One of the models had the words “This Is Cool” inscribed on the CD drive for some bizarre reason, and only 30,000 or so were ever produced, leading to their reputation as a valuable collector’s item.

Luckily, there are a few of them still floating around on eBay, where they typically sell for between $400 and $700, depending on their condition. Whether those three words and a see-through body are worth that kind of premium will depend very much on the buyer. It’s a lot of money to spend on a slightly more stylish Japanese Sega Saturn, but at least it can play X-Men Vs Street Fighter!

25

Apple Bandai Pippin

The Time Apple Made a Console

The Apple Bandai Pippin is more on par with machines like the 3DO, as it was marketed as a ‘multimedia player platform’ that Apple licensed to third parties to produce models. Most notably, it was licensed to Bandai, who produced the Atmark and @World models. It could connect to the internet for emails and messages, play music, print stickers, and run educational and edutainment software. Oh, and it could play games too.

The Pippin did better in Japan, where it had a much larger library of games aimed at young children. But in North America, it only received a handful of games and software before being discontinued 1 year into its run. It was too underpowered and overpriced compared to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. Still, that hasn’t stopped it from charming collectors, as it’s a unique piece of hardware, and one that will set buyers back by $800 for a complete set.

24

Panasonic Q Gamecube

Or the “GameQ” for Short

One of the reasons the PS2 took off was because it was a fairly cheap and reliable DVD player compared to standalone models at the time. The Xbox would follow suit, but Nintendo’s purple box of wonders stuck to video games, since its disc drive wasn’t big enough for standard DVDs. But that didn’t mean the big N didn’t give it a go, as they let Panasonic produce a special version of the Gamecube called the Panasonic Q. On top of playing Gamecube games, the Panasonic Q could play DVDs, Video CDs, audio CDs, and MP3s.

It even had a backlit LED display and optical sound output for audiophiles. Even more interesting, later models could play US games as well as Japanese ones (no luck for European collectors). It cost ¥46,000 back in 2001 ($328.53 today), but now, it’ll set buyers back by $850 — or $1,185 if they want a complete set. Then, if they want to play GBA games on it, they need to get its own specialized GBA adapter, which is even more expensive at $1,325 for a loose one.

23

PS3 Debugging Station

The PS3 had an awful launch that gave developers cold feet, let alone potential customers. It managed to hold its own in the long run, despite its high price and Sony removing its PS2 backwards compatibility, since it wasn’t going to blow its own brains out like the original Xbox 360 models were. Still, those early PS3 games could be rough as developers got to grips with its cell processor, where they made heavy use of the PS3 Debugging Station.

It was a special version of the PS3 made only for developers, where they could figure out their games’ hiccups with its built-in debug tech before releasing them into the wild. Unlike the retail version, it was completely region free, letting people play PS1, PS2 and PS3 games from anywhere and everywhere. They could also upload their games from discs or USB drives to its hard drive and vice-versa, and access PSN (before getting swiftly banned for using a tweaked PS3). Whether it’s worth $1,315 for a complete set is another matter.

22

Pikachu N64 Set

Electrifying Prices

The N64 was all about its Pokémon exclusives. To promote the video game Hey You, Pikachu, Toys R Us decided to release an exclusive Pikachu-themed Nintendo 64 console. This console was painted a vibrant blue and yellow, and it came with massive Pikachu and Poke Ball-themed buttons. It also included the game itself, the Voice Recognition Unit, the required microphone, and a “bonus animated/talking Pokémon watch.”

The game didn’t work so well compared to other microphone-based virtual pet games, like Seaman on the Dreamcast, but the console would be a jewel in a Poke-fan’s crown. Collectors can expect to see the full set selling on sites like eBay for roughly $1,400; nearly $3,250 if the system is boxed and brand new. Though if they just want the Pikachu console, they should find it for roughly $250 or so.

21

Pokémon Stadium N64 Battle Set

It’s a Battle to Afford This Set

To promote the wonderful Pokémon Stadium, Nintendo decided to release a special Battle Set version of the Nintendo 64. This included the Nintendo 64 console itself, Pokémon Stadium, an “atomic purple” controller, an N64 transfer Pak, and a Pokémon Trainer Journal. Everything a young fan could want back in the day. But getting it now is much more challenging, as these special sets are relatively rare today.

However, there are still a few circling around on eBay. If browsers are lucky, they’ll see it go for $300-$500, about the price of a modern console. But according to PriceCharting.com, it’s worth three times that price, at $1,500 for a complete set. New, sealed consoles have dropped in price, though they still go for over $3,000. Not exactly a drop in the bucket.

20

Gold Minish Cap Game Boy Advance SP

Worth Its Weight in Gold

The elusive gold Minish Cap Game Boy Advance SP is one of the rarest consoles ever made. They were made as a special promotion for the UK release of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, where it would contain the titular game and a golden Game Boy Advance SP. A few even came with golden tickets that entitled the owner to a GBA SP that was made with real gold.

These literally gold SP models haven’t turned up online, but their gold-colored editions are just as rare. Buyers can find the occasional loose machine going for $150-$335, with boxed copies complete with the game and manuals going up to $1,660. New editions have turned up for $8,000, with one completely sealed box being priced as highly as $99,000! Heaven forbid how much the ones made out of actual gold would go for.

19

Sony PlayStation 4 20th Anniversary Edition (PAL)

A High Price for Nostalgia

The first of several limited-edition PlayStation consoles to make the list, the Sony PlayStation 4 20th Anniversary Edition was released in 2015 to commemorate two whole decades of the PlayStation brand. As well as being styled after Sony’s original little gray box of wonders, the system also came with its own PS1-style theme once it booted up, a la the 30th anniversary themes PS5s got as a system update.

Only 12,300 of the consoles were ever made available to the public, which has contributed greatly to their high resale price in the modern age. North American versions of the machine are pricey enough, going for $1,220 for a complete set. The European ones are even rarer, where loose consoles go for $1,387. Buyers might get lucky and find cheaper second-hand units, though there’s no guarantee that all the accessories will be included.

18

Red Pokémon Game Boy Micro

If Only the Price Was Micro Too

Not many people remember the Game Boy Micro. It was released back in 2005 as a redesigned version of the Game Boy Advance, likely as a budget option to go alongside the then-new Nintendo DS. Given it was too small to play on comfortably, few people opted for it over its bigger predecessors or dual-screened successor. That said, it holds value, as it ended up being the final product released under the Game Boy name.

The console would be a collector’s item just for that, but there was also a special limited version released exclusively in Japan. It was a red, Pokemon-themed Game Boy Micro that had a little Pikachu decal above the B button. It’s not as outstanding as, say, the Pikachu N64, but its region-exclusive status made it more valuable, going for roughly $2,000 for a complete boxed set.

17

Nintendo 64DD

A Dynamic Drive Off a Cliff

Nintendo has been so scared of piracy in the past (and present) that they’ve often tried making their own media formats instead of easily exploitable tech like floppy disks and CDs. Yet each time they did, it ended up leading them to disaster. The Famicom Disk System broke so often that its big games were reconverted to NES cartridges. The planned SNES add-on ended up producing their biggest competitor in the Sony PlayStation, and then there was the Nintendo 64DD, a disk drive peripheral released exclusively in Japan in 1999.

It was more stable than the FDS, but suffered the same fate when it flopped, with its exclusives being retooled for the regular N64 (The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask), or canceled outright (Earthbound 64). But with failure comes rarity, and these babies are especially hard to come by. If they can find one on eBay, collectors should expect to pay $2,000, loose or complete. Unless buyers really want to make their own courses in F-Zero X via its Expansion Kit, the 64DD is worth more as a collector’s item.

16

Sega Genesis CDX/Sega Multi-Mega (PAL)

Multi-Grand Prices for an All-in-One Machine

In 1994, Sega combined their Genesis and Sega CD into one hybrid console called the Genesis CDX (aka Sega Multi-Mega internationally). The unit retailed for an unbelievable $400 at release ($850 in today’s money), and its exorbitant price resulted in some rather lackluster sales. As good as Snatcher and Sonic CD were, they barely justified buying the Sega CD on its own, let alone as an all-in-one unit with the Genesis.

Of course, the value has only gone up with time, and the Sega Genesis CDX now fetches quite a high price online. A typical, run-of-the-mill console sells for $731 complete, or $382 loose. The European Multi-Mega is even rarer, as its loose units have shot up in price to $1,040! Though surprisingly, its complete sets have dropped to just $2,009, which is good news for anyone who was saving up for its old $3,000 price tag.

15

Resident Evil Code: Veronica Dreamcast

A Biohazard to Bank Accounts

The Dreamcast is an underrated console that was vastly overshadowed by the PlayStation 2. That said, it performed reasonably well and had some killer games thanks in no small part to Sega’s excellent working relationship with Capcom. These included ports of several of the earlier Resident Evil games as well as Resident Evil Code: Veronica, which was exclusive to the console at the time.

To promote the game, special REC:V themed versions of the Dreamcast were produced and released in Japan. This contained the game itself and a unique see-through Dreamcast console that came in red (the ‘Claire’ version) or blue (the ‘S.T.A.R.S’ version). The latter is harder to find, but the former isn’t exactly common either, costing nearly $2,500 for a complete boxed set.

14

Panasonic 3DO M2

The Console That Never Was

The 3DO was ahead of its time, in that it offered features like internet access, video playback and online gaming that are commonplace on consoles today. That also meant it didn’t do them particularly well compared to high-end PCs at the time, while being way too expensive for players weaned on consoles. Once the PlayStation and Sega Saturn turned up, the writing was on the wall for the machine.

That’s why its successor, the Panasonic 3DO M2, was swiftly canceled. Developers were able to use its hardware for arcade games like Battle Tryst, but all that was left of the console were a few prototype models. Some lucky buyers have managed to get one of these models for a few bucks, then sold them on for $4,000+. For everyone else, they’re more likely to cough up $1,000-$3,000 for this piece of gaming potential.

13

Cuphead Xbox One S

A Yellow Console Going for Golden Prices

Most of the rarest video game consoles tend to be from the 1970s-1990s or so, although there are a handful of more modern systems that can sell for ridiculous prices. One such example is the Cuphead Xbox One S, which, despite being nearly 8 years old at the time of writing, is valued at around $3,000. The limited-edition console was created specifically for the game’s L.A. launch event in 2017.

Only four of them were ever made and these were given away as prizes to some of the people in attendance. Due to their rarity, they’re valued at about $3,000 each, and that price is likely to increase further still as time passes, which would explain why their owners are hanging onto them for now, as none of them have turned up for sale just yet.

12

Pokémon World Championships Nintendo DSi XL

Making People Say Aloha to Their Cash

Out of all the different Pokemon-themed consoles, this is one of the more beautiful-looking ones. According to ConsoleVariations.com, these models were only given out as prizes to the players who came out on top at the Pokémon World Champions in Hawaii back in 2010. Hence, why it’s got the PWC logo, and why it has Pikachu and other Pokémon hula dancing together.

Only 112 models of the Pokémon World Championship Nintendo DSi XL were made, and the few that are on sale are hard to track down. At best, they’ll go for $2,500 loose, or $3,740 complete in box. At worst, prospective buyers will have to fork out $7,100+ for pristine-quality models, with some going for $12,500.

11

Sharp Game Television

It’s a TV and a Console Combined!

Companies have been building game consoles into TV sets since 1976, when Magnavox integrated their video tennis games into their Model 4305 TVs. The PS2, Dreamcast, PC Engine, and even the Philips CD-I all had their tech built into TVs for owners to play games on without needing to fiddle with AV cables. Nintendo even got in on the act when Sharp produced the SHARP 19SV111, aka the Sharp Game Television.

This was a 19-inch CRT that had an NES cartridge slot and controller ports built into the base, and came with exclusive black NES controllers and a remote control. The set was only available in KMart stores back in 1989, and is hard to track down nowadays. If buyers find it going for less than $1,500, it’s likely to be missing its accessories, has broken legs, and other bits of wear and tear from 35+ years of use (or lack thereof).

10

Maziora Dreamcast

Shifting Colors, Rising Prices

Prices taken from Satakore.com

There were quite a few different variations of Sega’s final home console, although none of them are quite as unique as the Maziora Dreamcast. Developed by a Japanese vehicle manufacturer of the same name, only 500 of them were ever made, with 200 of them signed by Grand Prix motorcycle racer Tadahiko Taira. That’s not the only reason why people are willing to pay upwards of six grand for them though.

The consoles and controllers feature a special coating that causes their color to change depending on the lighting and viewing angle. Depending on the lighting conditions, it can appear to be aqua blue or a deep purple. The complete set also came with the Dream Passport CD to help players get online, alongside a keychain, and a motorsport guide. Put it all together, and it becomes a particularly rare set.

9

Xbox 360 Simpsons Console

A Microsoft Console with Homer Simpson on It

As this list has shown, giving consoles unique one-off brands are a good way to spike their value as time goes on. Scott the Woz joked about owning the rarest version of Sonic 2 on the Genesis (“Sonic 2 with a line on it”), but given his popularity, there’s a chance it could rise in value as the original “Sonic 2 with a line on it” if he sold it. It worked for the Xbox 360 Simpsons Console, as it’s the same old Microsoft console that plays the same nearly-20yr-old games, but it’s yellow and has half of Homer Simpson’s face on it.

Only 100 of these consoles were made as part of the “10 Days and 10 Chances to Win” sweepstakes competition in 2007 to tie in with The Simpsons Movie, of which 95 stayed in the US, with five making it over to Europe. Only a few of them have hit the market since their 2007 debut, and they go for eye-watering prices. Getting one complete with its matching controller will cost collectors nearly $8,000, while getting the machine on its own is only about $2,000 cheaper. All it needs now is a semi-famous person to draw a line on it to make it skyrocket in price.

8

Hot Summer Peach DS

A Handheld Fit for Royalty

Prices taken from eBay and RaretroConsoles.com

Japan is no stranger to exclusive events either. From July to September 2005, Club Nintendo ran their Hot Summer campaign, where they gave out summer-themed DS consoles with 3D-like renders of different Nintendo characters etched on them. If people are willing to hunt them down, they can find variants with Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Mario.

The rarest of the bunch is the Hot Summer Peach DS, which is all-pink and has the titular Princess’ head on the cover. Only 200 of them were ever made, making it very hard to track down. RaretroConsoles is offering one for $8,299, while one eBay seller was offering their sealed, boxed model for $15,000. It would take the biggest Princess Peach fan to consider picking it up for those prices.

7

RDI Halcyon

When Passion Projects Go Wrong

As popular as the NES was, players still had to go to the arcades to see games that pushed the envelope. When Super Mario Bros was wowing people with its 8-bit graphics and handful of tunes, Dragon’s Lair was giving them a bonafide interactive movie. Granted, it was little more than an FMV game, but for its time, it was special. The late Rick Dyer thought so at the time too, and he wanted to bring those games and more to the home via his own machine, the RDI Halcyon.

If things had gone according to plan, the RDI Halcyon would’ve had bigger, wider adventures, like his Lord of the Rings-inspired vision, Shadoan, which could be played via voice commands a la the Kinect. In the end, it became a glorified Laserdisc player that only had two games, and it didn’t officially get released. If it did, it would’ve cost up to $2,500 in 1985 ($7,476 today). Its few surviving models rarely go on sale, but when they do, they range from $5,000 for a single unit or $10,000 fully boxed.