Cost of Owning

Console Cost of Ownership Calculator

Pick a console, a subscription, how many games you buy and how much you play. See the real total over the years you keep it.

Updated October 2026 · Free · No sign-up

What will your console really cost?

Total cost of ownership
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ItemTotalPer year

Electricity = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate; state rates are average residential prices (EIA, July 2026). Console and subscription prices are US list prices as of September 2026 and change often. Wattages are estimates, except Switch 2 (Nintendo rates it at 19 W docked). Subscriptions are assumed to run every year.

Why the sticker price is the small part

Console makers raised prices through 2026 because memory and storage costs jumped, but the box is a one-time cost. Subscriptions, games and accessories repeat every year. The table above splits them out so you can see which lever matters most for you.

Cutting the total

  • Skip the subscription tier you do not use. Online play needs the base tier; the higher ones add game libraries.
  • Buy digital sales and used physical copies instead of launch-price games.
  • Sell or trade in when you upgrade, and enter your own resale guess above.

The full breakdown, with sources for every price, is in the guide: what a console really costs to own in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a PS5 cost after the 2026 price increase?
Sony's US prices from April 2, 2026 are $649.99 for the disc PS5, $599.99 for the Digital Edition and $899.99 for the PS5 Pro (PlayStation Blog). That is $100 to $150 more than before, and the second Sony hike in under a year.
How much does an Xbox Series X cost now?
Microsoft raised Xbox console prices from August 1, 2026 by $100 on 512GB models and $150 on 1TB models (Xbox Wire). The Series X disc model is $799.99, the Digital $749.99, and the 2TB model was discontinued.
Is the Switch 2 cheaper to own than a PS5?
The Switch 2 is cheaper up front ($499.99 from September 1, 2026, per Nintendo) and draws about 19 W docked against roughly 200 W for a PS5, but Nintendo charges $59.99 to $79.99 for many first-party games. Use the calculator with your own game count.
How much electricity does a game console use?
Nintendo rates the Switch 2 at 19 W docked. PS5 and Xbox Series X are commonly measured around 200 W while gaming (reviewer and energy-blog estimates). At 10 hours a week and 18.31¢ per kWh, 200 W costs about $19 a year.
Is a subscription worth it for a console?
Online play on PlayStation and Switch needs one. PS Plus Essential is $79.99 a year and Switch Online $19.99 (official price pages). Over five years Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 a month totals about $1,379, more than many consoles cost.