A PS5 now costs $649.99, an Xbox Series X $799.99 and a Switch 2 $499.99 in the US, and over five years the box itself is usually less than a third of what you spend. Every major console maker raised prices in 2026, so the sticker shock is real, but subscriptions, games and accessories repeat every year while the console is bought once. This guide puts the official prices side by side and adds the running costs, so you can compare what each console will cost you rather than what it costs on the shelf day.
The 2026 Price Hikes
Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and Valve each raised prices within about five months. The figures below come from each company’s own announcement.
| Console | New US price | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 (disc) | $649.99 | Effective April 2, 2026 | PlayStation Blog |
| PS5 Digital Edition | $599.99 | Effective April 2, 2026 | PlayStation Blog |
| PS5 Pro | $899.99 | Effective April 2, 2026 | PlayStation Blog |
| Xbox Series X (disc) | $799.99 | +$100 to +$150 from August 1, 2026 | Xbox Wire |
| Xbox Series S 1TB | $599.99 | From August 1, 2026 | Xbox Wire |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | $499.99 | Up from $449.99 on September 1, 2026 | Nintendo of America |
| Steam Deck OLED 512GB | $789 | Up from $549 on May 27, 2026 | Game Informer |
The reasons given vary. Sony cited “continued pressures in the global economic landscape”; Microsoft said console memory and storage costs are up more than 2.5 times and could double again by fall 2027; Nintendo pointed to market conditions it expects to last. Microsoft also discontinued the 2TB Xbox. None of the companies has said prices will come back down.
The Subscription Is the Biggest Repeating Cost
If you play online on PlayStation or Switch, you pay a subscription every year. These are the official US prices:
| Service | Annual price | Five years |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Online | $19.99 | $99.95 |
| Switch Online + Expansion Pack | $49.99 | $249.95 |
| PS Plus Essential | $79.99 | $399.95 |
| PS Plus Extra | $134.99 | $674.95 |
| PS Plus Premium | $159.99 | $799.95 |
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99 a month | $1,379.40 |
The five-year column is our arithmetic on the listed prices. The standout is Game Pass Ultimate: Microsoft cut it from $29.99 to $22.99 a month in April 2026, and it still totals more over five years than the console it runs on. PlayStation’s monthly prices rose in May 2026 according to press reports, though the annual prices above are what PlayStation.com lists today.
Games Add Up Faster Than Hardware
Nintendo now charges different prices for digital and physical copies on some titles, and reports put several first-party releases at $59.99 to $79.99. We could not verify a single across-the-board price, so the calculator lets you enter your own average. As a worked example (our assumption, not a market average): four games a year at $60 is $240 a year and $1,200 over five years, more than the cost of any console in the table.
What Power Costs
Electricity is the smallest line, but it differs a lot by console. Nintendo rates the Switch 2 at about 19 watts docked. PS5 and Xbox Series X are commonly measured near 200 watts while gaming, according to reviewer and energy-blog figures; we could not find a primary measurement, so treat that as an estimate.
At the July 2026 US average residential rate of 18.31¢ per kWh (EIA) and 10 hours of play a week:
- PS5 or Series X at 200 W: about 104 kWh a year, about $19.
- Switch 2 at 19 W: about 10 kWh a year, about $1.80.
For the rest of the house, the same math is in our gaming PC electricity guide and the power cost behind any appliance.
Five-Year Totals: Two Worked Examples
Using the prices above, four $60 games a year, $75 of extras and 10 hours a week of play (the games, extras and hours are our assumptions):
| PS5 disc + PS Plus Essential | Switch 2 + Switch Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Console | $649.99 | $499.99 |
| Subscription, 5 years | $399.95 | $99.95 |
| Games, 5 years | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| Extras | $75 | $75 |
| Electricity, 5 years | about $95 | about $9 |
| Total | about $2,420 | about $1,884 |
The gap is about $540: roughly $150 from the console, $300 from the subscription and $85 from power. Change any input in the console cost calculator and the numbers update, including your own state’s electricity rate.
How to Spend Less
- Pick the lowest subscription tier that does what you need. Online play only needs the base tier on PlayStation and Switch.
- Wait for game sales and buy used physical copies for titles you will finish once.
- Trade in or sell the old console when you upgrade. We could not find reliable resale prices, so check GameStop’s trade page or a marketplace on the day.
- Turn off instant-on features if you rarely play; standby draw runs all day, every day.
FAQ
How much does a PS5 cost in 2026?
The disc PS5 is $649.99, the Digital Edition $599.99 and the PS5 Pro $899.99 in the US since April 2, 2026, according to the PlayStation Blog. That is $100 to $150 more than before, and the second Sony hike in under a year.
How much did the Xbox Series X go up?
Microsoft raised Xbox console prices from August 1, 2026: $100 on 512GB models and $150 on 1TB models, per Xbox Wire. The Series X disc model is $799.99, and the 2TB model was discontinued.
Is the Switch 2 cheaper than a PS5 over five years?
In our worked example, yes, by about $540, mostly from the cheaper console and Switch Online’s lower subscription price. If you buy many $70 to $80 Nintendo games and few PlayStation ones, the gap can close.
How much electricity does a console use?
Nintendo rates the Switch 2 at about 19 W docked. PS5 and Xbox Series X are commonly measured near 200 W while gaming, which at 10 hours a week and 18.31¢ per kWh costs about $19 a year.
Is Game Pass worth it?
Game Pass Ultimate is $22.99 a month as of April 2026 and totals about $1,379 over five years. It pays off only if it replaces most of the games you would otherwise buy; use the calculator to compare with your own game count.