Three sealed first-edition Pokémon Game Boy cartridges have sold for $2 million USD (approximately RMB 14.4 million), marking the second-highest physical video game transaction in history. As physical media accelerates toward obsolescence, the rarest tangible games are being revalued—now standing alongside top-tier comics and sports trading cards.
The three games in question are the first-edition Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow: Pikachu Special Edition—all from the earliest production runs, with factory seals fully intact. The buyer is the renowned private collection holding group known as The Dubai Collection.
What elevates this set to its astronomical price is the near-pristine condition grading from PSA: Pokémon Blue scored a 9.8, while both Pokémon Red and Pokémon Yellow achieved a perfect 10. According to the head of PSA’s video game division, obtaining a 10 rating for cartridge-based games is exceptionally rare due to inevitable injection-moulding imperfections and factory handling marks. This set is now believed to be the highest-graded first-edition Pokémon collection of its kind currently known to exist.
Nathan Howerton, founder of Nostalgix—the private collectibles brokerage that facilitated the deal—told IGN: “In an increasingly digital world, collectors still place extraordinary value on physical media. These three PSA-graded Pokémon games prove that truly exceptional physical editions are not just nostalgic artefacts—they are irreplaceable pieces of gaming history.”
The transaction ranks as the second-highest physical video game sale ever recorded, trailing only the $3 million NES Super Mario Bros. sale that took place this past June. Howerton added: “A decade ago, the idea of three graded Pokémon games selling for $2 million would have been almost unimaginable. Today, it reflects a growing market recognition that historically significant, investment-grade games deserve to be discussed alongside the world’s most expensive comics, trading cards, and sports memorabilia.”
With Sony announcing it will cease production of physical discs for newly released games starting in 2028, the value of these three Game Boy cartridges has been fundamentally recalibrated. They are no longer nostalgic keepsakes—they are irreproducible slices of gaming history, increasingly priced as cultural artefacts.
FAQ
Q: What PSA grades did the three Pokémon cartridges receive?
A: Pokémon Blue received a 9.8 grade, while Pokémon Red and Pokémon Yellow both received a perfect 10 grade, making them the highest-graded first-edition Pokémon collection of its kind currently known.
Q: Where does this sale rank in the history of physical video game transactions?
A: At $2 million, it ranks as the second-highest physical video game transaction in history, behind only the $3 million NES Super Mario Bros. sale from June 2026.
Source: IGN
