Skip to content

The $500 Console Is Dead - Next-Gen Console Watch

August 7, 2026 · 24 min

Show notes

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Bo break down Bo's recent op-ed about the death of the $500 console. With RAM shortages, supply chain issues, and general inflation wreaking havoc on the games industry, is it time to consider $1,000 or more for a gaming console the new normal? And if that's the case, can we expect an industry crash similar to what befell video games in the 1980s? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All episodes of Next-Gen Console Watch

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.