The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One’s Launch Prices Explored

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles are set to tear our wallets a few new ones later this year. But, looking back at past console releases and then adjusting for inflation, are we really going to be breaking the bank this holiday season?

According to Ars Technica, the answer is "no." Jonathan Gitlin and Kyle Orland explored the history of console releases and their prices, starting from the Atari 2600 in 1977 all the way to this year's upcoming consoles.

After adjusting to 2013's dollars, it's interesting to see how much older consoles would cost these days at launch. For example, an Atari 5200 for $270 in 1982 would cost about $651 at launch right now. An original PlayStation, launched in 1994 for $160, would cost about $251 today.

The Xbox 360, which launched in 2005 for $400, would cost around $476 today, and the PlayStation 3's infamous $600 launch price in 2006 would be $696. So, all told, the Xbox One at $499 and the PlayStation 4 at $399 don't seem like far cries from past console launch prices. You also have to factor in that prices usually drop within a year or so after a console's debut, meaning that you won't have to save up those precious pennies from behind the couch as much.

Let us know what you think about the prices for these upcoming consoles and how they compare to past launches in the comments below.