Most expensive videogame console (inflation-adjusted)

Adjusted for inflation, the most expensive videogame console of all time was the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, which launched with an RRP of $699.99 on 4 October 1993. This works out to $1,251.40 (£921.55) adjusted for inflation as of 31 December 2020.

The 3DO was designed by the 3DO Company, an American firm controlled by Electronic Arts co-founder Trip Hawkins. It was released at the tail end of the fourth console generation, about 14 months before the Sony Playstation. The 3DO company was not involved in the manufacture of the hardware, simply providing a set of demanding specifications that were then made into reality by third party manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sanyo and GoldStar (now LG). This arrangement made the console extremely expensive as the hardware manufacturers had to make a profit on the hardware itself for it to be worth making. Most console manufacturers (then and now) sell the actual hardware at a loss, or break even at best, making up the shortfall from game sales and subscription fees.

The console was ultimately a failure. It was astronomically expensive compared to the other consoles of the time, but did not offer a significant leap forward in terms of hardware. The small consumer base put off potential developers, leaving it with a dearth of games. The console's fate was sealed when the Sony Playstation launched in the US. It had more and better games, three times the processing power, and cost only $299.