One of the rarest Xbox Series X/S games around is a title you wouldn’t expect, as listings for the fantasy role-player balloon on eBay.
The vast majority of the most valuable video games are relics from the 1980s and 1990s, but the decline of physical releases over recent years appears to be making even some modern titles a prized commodity.
For some new indie titles, retailers like Iam8bit and Limited Run Games sell physical versions in small quantities. Physical copies can be locked behind Kickstarter goals too or sometimes delayed until after the game has launched, as was the case with Alan Wake 2.
The rise of digital sales has made physical games increasingly more of a collector’s item, to the point where many high street retailers are dropping them from shelves. Certain publishers, like Xbox, have veered away from physical games too, as the bulk of its audience moves to subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.
The latter will make certain Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games pretty hard to come by in the years to come, but one title is already selling for over £1,000 on eBay.
The game in question is 2024’s Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series. The role-player only came out last year across all consoles and PC, yet the Xbox version has proved to be a white whale for collectors.
At the time of writing (as spotted on ResetEra), there are eBay listings selling the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S version for £1,500 (£1,118) if you buy it now.
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.
That’s not just the owner being optimistic though, as other copies have sold for £720 and $870.59 (£649) just recently.
This is in stark contrast to the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions, which are going for less than £40, but there’s a reason. The only way to get a brand new physical version of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was to back the Kickstarter, and as the least popular console in terms of sales, it’s clear hardly anyone selected the Xbox version.
‘The physical print of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was only available through the game’s Kickstarter campaign for a limited time,’ the eBay description reads.
It’s unclear how many Xbox versions are actually out in the wild, so if you own a copy, you might be sitting on a pretty penny.
Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
