Is Gaming The Most Expensive Hobby in Utah?

To say 2023 has been an incredible year for gaming would be an understatement. Two of the highest rated games EVER on Metacritic came out in 2023, and the year is not even over yet.

The game of the year list continues to grow as more heavy hitters are released throughout the year. Games like Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Starfield show the incredible variety that’s being offered throughout the year.

This leads to a serious issue for someone wanting to enjoy everything gaming has to offer in 2023. Just how much money will it take?

Gaming has always been a problematic hobby when it comes to keeping the wallet somewhat heavy, but this year has been especially bad.

Inflation and price increases have also made gaming more and more difficult to enjoy when you’re living on a strict budget.

Most AAA releases from major gaming platforms now cost $70, and that could get even worse if inflation continues to be as bad as it is.

So, let’s count up all those releases I just mentioned. Zelda + Baldur’s Gate + Spider-Man + Starfield = $240. That’s unfortunately not the end of it though, because in order to play these games, you need the proper machine.

Zelda runs on Nintendo Switch, Spider-Man runs on PlayStation 5, and Starfield runs on Xbox if you don’t count PC. Switch + PS5 + Xbox Series X = $1,300.

That means you have to sink over $1,500 to get into the best releases of 2023. Does that mean gaming is the most expensive hobby in Utah? I’ll let you decide.