Why SNES games are so expensive

Interest in retro games is booming, but there are only so many old cartridges going around.

By Deven McClure Oct. 31, 2026 10:45 am EST robtek/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

Although you can play with an emulator like Super ZSNES, there's just something about physically having your favorite SNES games to hold and admire sitting on your shelf. If you've been trying to track down a copy of an old SNES game for a fun dose of nostalgia, you might have gotten a bit of sticker shock at how much titles are still selling for in 2026. It's not to say the inherent value of retro games isn't always comparable with their actual price, but SNES games in particular often seem to be an expensive outlier.