Image by kables
Did you know the first Nintendo system was $270 at launch? While that might not seem like much compared to a $500 XBOX One, minimum wage was only around $4.00/hr back then. It would have taken a kid working a minimum wage job almost 68 hours of work to purchase the latest and greatest video game system.
Today, a $500 XBOX One at $10.25 minimum wage ($10.70 now) would take just under 50 hours of work.
Here are the video game console prices over the years compared to the approximate minimum wage:
- NES – $270 price, $4.00 minimum wage, 67.5 hours
- SNES -$225 price, $5.40 minimum wage, 42 hours
- PS1 – $400 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 58 hours
- N64 – $270 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 39 hours
- PS2 – $450 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 66 hours
- XBOX – $470 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 69 hours
- Dreamcast – $290 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 42 hours
- Gamecube – $300 price, $6.85 minimum wage, 44 hours
- XBOX 360 – $500 price, $7.45 minimum wage, 67 hours
- PS3 – $550 price, $7.75 minimum wage, 65 hours
- Wii – $280 price, $7.75 minimum wage, 36 hours
- Wii U – $300 price, $10.25 minimum wage, 29 hours
- XBOX One – $500 price, $10.25 minimum wage, 49 hours
- PS4 – $400 price, $10.25 minimum wage, 39 hours
Now excuses us while we play some Destiny.
