Super Mario Bros. Cartridge Shatters World Record, Selling for $3 Million
A near-mint, sealed copy of the original Super Mario Bros. has become the most expensive video game ever sold, fetching $3 million at auction.
The Record-Breaking Sale
The historic transaction took place on June 12 through Heritage Auctions' Video Games Signature Auction. The final sale price of US$3 million (A$4.24 million) crushed the previous record of $2 million—also set by a copy of the same game in 2021.
The "Holy Grail" of Condition
The game is considered a masterpiece of preservation. It was graded PSA 9.6 A++, placing it in the highest tier of video game condition. Heritage Auctions confirmed that it is the best-preserved example known to exist from a rare, early production run.
Why This Copy is Unique
This cartridge belongs to the extremely limited "gloss sticker" production run, a packaging method Nintendo used briefly before transitioning to standard shrink-wrap.
- Rarity: Only three sealed copies from this specific production run are known to exist.
- Provenance: The game was discovered months ago, untouched, inside a brand-new NES Control Deck console bundle.
- History: It remained sealed and undisturbed for approximately 40 years before being unearthed.
A New Benchmark for Collecting
This sale underscores the explosive growth of the video game collecting market, where pristine, decades-old artifacts have become sought after as blue-chip collectibles. For now, this sealed Super Mario Bros. stands alone as the most valuable video game in the world.