Retro gaming stores in Akihabara are reporting big surges in demand for Game Boys, causing prices to soar.
Over 118 millionGame Boyswere sold during its original lifespan. With so many of them around, you might think that there are plenty of old Game Boys available for retro fans to pick up at bargain prices. However, according toretro gamingretailers in Japan, rising demand for these classic handhelds has caused prices to skyrocket.
Japan’s Akihabara is sometimes known as ‘Electric Town’ due to the collection of stores and entertainment providers geared towards video games and its associated culture. According toAutomation West(viaTime Extension) one particular retailer in this area named Ken-chan has been inundated with demand forGame Boys.
At the moment, even a non-working and almost destroyedGame Boyis going for the equivalent of $20 while a standard version can be sold for as much as 24,800 yen, roughly equal to $159. A rarer transparent version still in its box can sell for 34,800 yen, which equates to around $223.
There is also a growingmodding scene for the Game Boy, which makes new screens, buttons, and other parts available. Most of these still require an original console as a base to work on. Similarly, as Chiptune music rises in popularity, newcomers to the scene are seeking out their own Game Boys to use as instruments.
Despite the rise in prices, the weakness of the Japanese Yen means that many of these consoles are still a bargain to tourists.
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Rebecca Hills-Duty was a Tech Writer on Dexerto’s UK Team, specializing in PC components, VR, AMD, Nvidia and Intel. She has previously written for UploadVR and The Escapist, hosts a weekly show on RadioSEGA and has an obsession with retro gaming.
