Game consoles too pricey? Inbox asks if gaming is becoming unaffordable.

Is the cost of consoles becoming too high for the average person to afford? This is a topic that has been recently discussed on the Friday letters page, where one reader expresses their concerns about the future of Xbox and Game Pass. Another reader is frustrated with Nintendo's lackluster 2026 games line-up. The Games Inbox is a platform for our readers to share their thoughts, opinions, and comments. If you want to join the conversation, you can email us at email. It's not surprising that consoles are becoming a luxury item for the wealthy. It seems like publishers are always complaining about the gaming industry not expanding, yet they continue to increase the prices of hardware. This has been happening for a while now, even before the current supply issues with RAM. As a result, consumers are having to pay more and more for consoles that are not significantly different from their predecessors. And it's not just consoles that are getting more expensive. The upcoming Steam Machine and Xbox's next-generation console have already been labeled as "expensive". Where does this end? For middle-class families, consoles may still be within their budget, but for everyone else, the prices keep rising every year. It's no wonder that PC gaming is on the rise while consoles are declining. Free-to-play games have become the go-to for casual gamers because they simply can't afford anything else. The video game industry has reached a point where it's not worth getting into anymore. I hear this sentiment from my co-workers all the time. Why spend a fortune on a console and its games when you can play a game on your phone for free? This trend explains why consoles are losing their appeal and why PCs are becoming a more popular choice. It's clear to everyone that Xbox is no longer a viable console format. This is evident from the recent financial reports, which do not mention Game Pass at all. Remember when Game Pass was hailed as the future of Xbox and even Satya Nadella's bonus was tied to it? That didn't last long. Sign up for the GameCentral newsletter to get expert, exclusive analysis of all things gaming. Every Saturday morning, you'll receive a unique take on the week in gaming, along with the latest reviews and more, straight to your inbox. I wouldn't be surprised if Game Pass doesn't even exist in a couple of years. If it was performing well, Microsoft would be boasting about it. But the fact that they're not mentioning it is a clear indication that it's not doing as well as they had hoped. The future of Xbox now hinges on the success of streaming. While this will likely be the future of gaming at some point, the question is, will the Xbox brand survive long enough to see it through? I had a realization the other day while playing Tomb Raider: Legend. I initially thought it was the first remake of the original game, but then I remembered it was the one with King Arthur. It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since its release. The middle trilogy of Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld, however, is not as memorable to me. Despite having played all three, I struggle to recall the details of each game. Anniversary was a remake, and Underworld had a lot of underwater sections, if I remember correctly. The point I'm trying to make is that there have been many Tomb Raider games, but only a few of them are truly memorable. Even after 30 years, we still talk about the iconic T-Rex scene from the first game. While some of the later games may have been better in terms of gameplay, they lack the memorable moments that make a game truly stand out. This is a challenge that the newer Tomb Raider games need to overcome. Moving on, I've pre-ordered a few select titles that will keep me occupied for the next few months, including 007 First Light, Saros, Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, and Fatal Frame 2 Remake. The latter has a demo coming out on March 5th, and from what I've seen in the gameplay overview, it looks faithful to the original. Only time will tell how these games will turn out, but I'm hoping that 2026 will kick off with some fantastic releases. Resident Evil Requiem looks promising, and I hope the hefty price tag is justified. So, there's a lot to look forward to in terms of gaming goodness. On a final note, Bloober Team is teasing a reveal for Valentine's Day. Some speculate that it may be a remake of Born From A Wish or possibly Rule Of Rose. I've previously expressed my desire for a remake of the latter, so I'm excited to see what the reveal will be. GC, have you seen the audio and teaser? What are your thoughts? Could it be a remake or something completely new? Is there any connection to Rule Of Rose? Anything is possible, but the legal text on the website makes no mention of Atlus. The recent news about Dispatch being censored on the Switch is quite puzzling. Nintendo has asked them to censor giving the middle finger, but they allow full-frontal nudity in Cyberpunk 2077? It doesn't make sense. Perhaps it's because of the game's cartoonish graphics, but it's not something that would appeal to children. Plus, it has an adults-only rating. I hope Nintendo clarifies this situation because it's concerning for third-party games on the Switch 2. If this is a new rule, then they should make it known. I thought they had given up on these kinds of restrictions years ago. I was disappointed to see the negative review for Escape From Ever After. I thought it looked great, but as we all know, graphics don't make a game. I'm hoping that when the Switch 2 gets a Paper Mario game, it will be a proper role-playing game like The Thousand-Year Door. The fact that it received a remake gives me hope, but Nintendo's decisions can be unpredictable, so nothing is certain. There are so many Nintendo franchises that I'm looking forward to seeing on the Switch 2, but it seems like they're going for the less exciting options first. Or maybe they're just the quickest to develop. Either way, the current 2026 line-up includes Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem, a Yoshi game for kids, and a couple of new Switch 2 editions. If you're excited about these games, good for you, but let's not pretend that these are Nintendo's top-tier titles. Even the new Pokémon game is a strange Harvest Moon knock-off by the creators of Hyrule Warriors. I mean... really? Where are the big names like Zelda, 3D Mario, Smash Bros, and Animal Crossing? What about Luigi's Mansion and Splatoon? Nintendo has a vast library of A-list games, yet they're nowhere to be found, with a bunch of C-listers taking their place. Are the prices of consoles becoming too expensive for people to afford? This is a concern that has been raised in our Friday letters page, where one reader expresses frustration over the limited 2026 games line-up from Nintendo. Our Games Inbox section is where our readers share their thoughts, opinions, and comments. To join in on the discussion, simply email us at the given email address. It's no surprise that consoles are becoming a luxury only the wealthy can afford. It's a trend that has been going on for a while now, with publishers constantly raising the prices of hardware and making it harder for people to enter the gaming world. And this issue is not just limited to the current RAM supply shortage, it has been an ongoing problem where we are forced to pay more for consoles that are not significantly different from their predecessors. The prices are expected to continue rising, and both the Steam Machine and Xbox's next-gen console have already been labeled as "expensive". Where does this end? For middle-class families, these consoles may still be affordable, but for everyone else, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the rising prices. This is one of the reasons why consoles are declining in popularity, while PCs are on the rise. And it's also the reason why free-to-play games have become the go-to option for casual gamers - it's all they can afford. Video games have reached a point where they are no longer worth investing in, and this is a sentiment that I hear from my coworkers all the time. Why spend a fortune on a console and its games when you can play for free on your phone? Moving on to Xbox, it's clear that the console format is on its last legs. The new financial reports show no mention of Game Pass, which was once touted as the future of Xbox and even tied to Satya Nadella's bonus. It seems like that vision didn't last long. Expert analysis on gaming Sign up for our GameCentral newsletter to get a unique perspective on the week in gaming, along with the latest reviews and more. Delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if Game Pass ceases to exist in a couple of years. If it was performing well, Microsoft would be boasting about it non-stop. But the fact that they aren't, speaks volumes. For Microsoft, their future now relies on streaming becoming the norm. While it may be the future at some point, the question is, will the Xbox brand last long enough to see it? Switching gears to a more nostalgic topic, it's amazing to see how far Tomb Raider has come. I recently discovered that the first remake of the original game was actually Tomb Raider: Legend, not the one with King Arthur. It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since then, and now we have a whole trilogy of games - Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld. However, I must admit, I struggle to remember the details of the middle trilogy, even though I've played them all. It's the first game with the iconic T-Rex scene that still stands out in our memories after all these years. Despite the later games being technically better, they lacked that memorable factor and all blended into one another. This is something that the new Tomb Raider games need to overcome. We always love hearing from our readers, so feel free to email your comments to the given address. On to some exciting upcoming releases, Code Vein 2 has been making waves and is being praised as a worthy successor to the first game. I personally didn't expect it to be a masterpiece, and the reviews seem to reflect that as well. However, it's still a decent game and that's all that matters. I've gone ahead and pre-ordered a few titles that I know will keep me entertained in the coming months - 007 First Light, Saros, Crimson Desert, Resident Evil Requiem, and Fatal Frame 2 Remake. The demo for Fatal Frame 2 Remake is set to release on March 5th, and from what I've seen, it looks faithful to the original. Only time will tell how these games will turn out, and if 2026 will kick off with a bang. Resident Evil Requiem looks promising, and considering its hefty price tag, I hope it lives up to the expectations. Looks like we have a lot of gaming goodness to look forward to! On a final note, Bloober Team, the developers of Layers of Fear, have been teasing a reveal for Valentine's Day. Some are speculating that it could be a remake of Born From A Wish or possibly Rule of Rose. I, for one, have my fingers crossed for the latter. GC, have you seen the teaser and audio? What do you think it could be teasing - a remake or something entirely new? Is there a possibility that it could be connected to Rule of Rose? Anything is possible, but we did notice that the legal text on the website does not mention Atlus. In other news, there's been some controversy surrounding the censorship of Dispatch on the Switch. Nintendo wants the game to censor a particular scene, but they seem to be fine with full frontal nudity in Cyberpunk 2077. It's a bit confusing and worrying as this could potentially affect the release of third-party games on the Switch 2. It would be great if Nintendo clarified their stance on this issue, especially if it's due to a new rule. We thought they had let go of these kinds of restrictions years ago. Lastly, it's disappointing to see that Escape From Ever After didn't receive a good review, despite its visually appealing graphics. As we all know, graphics don't make a game. Speaking of games, I hope that when the Switch 2 eventually gets a Paper Mario game, it's a proper role-playing game like The Thousand-Year Door. The fact that the original game got a remake gives us hope, but we all know how unpredictable Nintendo can be. There are so many beloved Nintendo franchises that we want to see on Switch 2, but it seems like they're going for the easier and quicker options. This means that the current 2026 line-up consists of games like Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem, a Yoshi game for kids, and a few new editions of existing Switch games. While some may be excited for these titles, it's safe to say that they are not Nintendo's A-list games. Even the new Pokémon game is a strange Harvest Moon-like game developed by the team behind Hyrule Warriors. Where are the likes of Zelda, Mario, Smash Bros., Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, and Splatoon? These are all A-list games that are missing from the line-up. We hope Nintendo takes note and gives us what we truly want in the near future.