In the world of vintage video games, factory-sealed copies often reign supreme and can sell for astronomical prices. But the chances of stumbling upon a pristine, unopened title in the loft or garage is a fantasy for most people.
The good news is that many of the titles we eagerly ripped open and played for hours on end are now fetching remarkably high prices, according to research published by Currys last year.
Read on to discover 20 used video games selling for small fortunes, and find out if your vintage collection could make you some serious cash.
Currys analysed resale data on PriceCharting to pinpoint old PAL region (Europe, Australia, parts of Asia, Africa, and South America) titles that sell for tidy sums in used condition. The retailer also turned to video games specialist Roy Raftery of Ewbank Auctioneers for his expert opinion.
The collector's market is booming, largely thanks to a wave of nostalgia among ageing Millennials harking back to the games of their youth. As a result, Xbox and PlayStation 2 titles have surged in value, though interest in games for older consoles such as the NES and Mega Drive 32X is still strong. With demand so buoyant, it's no wonder even used copies are attracting high prices.
Let's take a look at the most valuable...
If you're lucky enough to own a limited-edition set, chances are you're in the money. In 2003, Nintendo released the Pokémon Ruby Limited Edition Super Pak for the Game Boy Advance SP exclusively in Europe. Featuring a branded console, case and copy of the game, it was priced at £120 (around £222 in today's money).
Fast-forward to today, and a used boxed version typically sells for £1,393.30.
The North American version of this fabled NES title was recalled not long after its launch in 1987. Fewer than 20 complete copies are thought to exist, with each worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The PAL version released in selected European countries wasn't recalled and is nowhere near as rare, but remains a valuable collector's item nonetheless, selling for an average of £1,457.31 with the original box.
Described as “a game of mythical obscurity”, Hammerin' Harry for the Game Boy was released in Europe in 1993 in very limited quantities.
If you're one of the privileged few to own a boxed copy, you're sitting on £1,488.32. Loose specimens are still worth several hundred pounds a pop.
Another Europe-only release, this Super Nintendo Double Pak from 1995 contains the Super Metroid and Zelda – A Link to the Past games together with an array of goodies. Despite the reasonable price tag of £39.98 (£83 today), relatively few were sold.
Exceptionally elusive, a complete boxed set is now worth £1,578.61.
Also known as Robot Block, Stack-Up was released for the NES in 1985. It was the second game to feature the robot toy R.O.B (Robotic Operating Buddy), which was included with the NES as part of its North American launch but enjoyed just two video game appearances before being discontinued.
Today, boxed Stack-Up games can sell for £1,632.36.
In 1994, Nintendo launched a Game Boy title based on the 1993 sequel to Beethoven, the hit movie about a lovable St Bernard. For whatever reason, the game was released in extremely limited quantities in Europe, while the US launch was ultimately cancelled.
Needless to say, the title is super-scarce, making it extremely valuable, with a boxed version worth £1,675.47.
The Pokémon Sapphire Version of the 2003 Game Boy Advance SP Limited Edition Super Pak has the edge over the Ruby when it comes to value.
The Europe-only set is now worth £1,700.91, a good few hundred pounds more than the other Super Pak.
One of the rarest Nintendo 64 titles for the PAL region, 1997's Snowboard Kids 2 was only released in Australia and in limited numbers to boot, though it's likely some copies made their way to the UK.
With its original packaging, the title is now valued at £1,715.19, while a loose copy is worth about £265.
A dream acquisition for the most ardent Dark Souls III fan, the Prestige Edition of the 2016 PlayStation 4 game features everything from an artbook and map to two statues, along with the soundtrack and game itself. Comparatively few copies were produced. The pack was reportedly available from Amazon for £292 (£405 in 2026 money) but sold out fast.
Nowadays, even a loose version, without its original packaging, can fetch a substantial sum, averaging £1,717.39.
The rarest PlayStation 2 Grand Theft Auto boxed set, this collection of four games from the massively popular franchise was an Australia-only exclusive that came out in 2006. It includes GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and Liberty City Stories.
Like the Dark Souls III PS4 pack, the set is so sought-after that even a loose copy is worth a king's ransom, typically £1,718.52.
Another Australia-only release, the PAL version of the 2000 Nintendo 64 game StarCraft 64 is ridiculously rare. A boxed specimen now sells for £1,728.88 on average.
Again, it's likely some copies have ended up in the UK, though they would be incredibly few and far between.
As we've mentioned, a loose copy of the PlayStation 4 Dark Souls III Prestige Edition is now worth £1,717.39.
If you have a specimen with its original box, you can add £257.61 to that figure.
This 1987 variant of the iconic NES game was released in selected European countries in limited quantities and is ultra-scarce these days.
For this reason, its value has skyrocketed over the years, with a boxed copy currently worth £1,988.67.
The zany yet challenging NES game Gimmick! had a very pared-back release in Europe in 1993. Retitled as Mr Gimmick, it was only available in Scandinavian countries and in very modest quantities, though some copies likely found their way to the UK.
A boxed specimen will currently score you £2,071.92, while a loose copy goes for approximately £585.
Boxed copies of the Aussie-only PlayStation 2 Grand Theft Auto Complete Collection are worth considerably more than loose specimens.
As per PriceCharting, the typical sale price comes in at an additional £515.55.
One of the last games released for the Mega Drive 32X, Darxide had a very limited release in 1996, restricted to the European market.
The space-themed shoot 'em up is now considered the holy grail of 32X games, with boxed copies selling for an average of £2,245.68
The Game Boy Color Zelda Oracle of Ages & Seasons set is among Nintendo's rarest releases. Another Europe exclusive, it hit the shelves in small numbers in 2001.
If you're the proud owner of a copy and still have the box, you could be looking at a sale price of £2,259.44 or thereabouts.
The European version of this Super Nintendo classic had a very limited production run back in 1996 and its relatively high price tag, together with the waning popularity of the console, resulted in lacklustre sales. As you can imagine, copies are markedly thin on the ground.
This significant scarcity has done wonders for the game's value, with a copy of the European release in its original box now fetching £2,465.32 on average.
This 1990 NES game enjoyed a fairly wide release in North America under the title Heavy Shreddin'. The European version had a much smaller production run and copies are strikingly scarce.
If you happen to possess a complete copy with its box, it could currently net you £2,935.80.
The last word in ultra-rare Nintendo 64 packs, Zelda Majora's Mask Adventure Set was restricted to the European market and limited to just 1,000 copies.
A diehard collector wouldn't think twice about splurging a ton of money to secure a copy. The current going rate for a boxed set is £3,715.01, and a pristine factory-sealed specimen has been listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of £42,413.
As we've seen, limited-edition, low-production and highly region-specific titles – basically the rarities of the gaming world – tend to offer the best returns.
Games specialist Roy Raftery points to Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch as a potential future money earner. While it was undoubtedly a blockbuster bestseller, the 2020 title was on a timed release, so copies are relatively limited and have shot up in value over the past five years.
Now discover the most expensive video games in history, ranked