Why the Rise of $50 Games is One of the Most Important Trends for the Health of the Industry

2025 can confidently be called the year of the rise of mid-budget games priced at $50 or less. This begs the question: what does this mean for the industry as a whole? In today’s article, we delve into the trend in detail, backing up the arguments with figures and other data.

The current console generation will be remembered as perhaps the first in history where prices not only do not decrease over time but consistently rise. This applies to both the hardware and the games themselves.

Major companies are finding new ways to increase profitability amid rising development costs, inflation, and other macroeconomic factors, as well as, to be honest, sheer greed. One could argue that the latter reason is quite naive and primitive from a business perspective, but that is exactly how the current situation is perceived by most consumers. Gamers can be understood here, as AAA titles have basically reached a point where they are becoming disproportionately expensive entertainment compared to the quality of the content they offer.

Since the fall of 2020, major players have gradually accustomed users to a new pricing standard — $70 per game. Then came extremely manipulative practices with “early access” for purchasing deluxe editions for $100–130. In 2025, Nintendo made the next step by setting an $80 price tag for Mario Kart World.

We have examined the issues of current pricing in more detail in a separate article. Today, we will take a closer look at the situation in the $50 game segment, which is becoming increasingly attractive to gamers — both in terms of quality and innovation.