Games come and go. Many of them fade away, only to be remembered once again if they left a big enough impression the first time around that there’s money to be made by bringing them back for a second chance. In that case, someone might remake the game completely, but with an eye toward preserving much of what made it special in the first place.
Another common option is the quick port that retouches the graphics a little and adds a better framerate or remaps the controls, but otherwise doesn’t worry about much after ensuring it functions on newer hardware. Most gamers agree that such ports shouldn’t cost much. But sometimes they cost quite a lot. The recent ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 spring to mind, and there are other examples. Here are 10 of the most expensive video game ports of all time.
1
Sonic Colors Ultimate (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Original release date: Nov. 11, 2010
Port release date: Sep. 7, 2021
Cost of port: $40
Sonic Colors Ultimate is the remastered version of Sonic Colors, which was originally released on the Wii. It’s a fun game that Sonic’s fans will likely enjoy, but the remaster feels steep at $40. Technical defects at launch were substantial, ranging from visual oddities to save file corruption and broken level elements. The worst of those issues have since been resolved, but the asking price still raises an eyebrow or two.
2
Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS4, PS5)
Original release date: Nov. 9, 2010
Port release date: July 9, 2026
Cost of port: $40
Available now for $40 each, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 fail to impress because they don’t improve on games that you can still buy physically on older hardware for less than half the price to enjoy similar performance. It’s nice to see them come to PS4 and PS5, but was it too much to ask for a fresh layer of polish or a lower price point? Apparently so. What’s even worse is that if you want the DLC, you’ll have to pay extra for the privilege. The season pass adds another $30. To add insult to injury, you can get the games for half off (dropping their price to where it should have been to begin with), but only as a PlayStation Plus member. It’s disappointing, to say the least.
3
Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Original release date: Aug. 29, 2003
Port release date: Feb. 17, 2023
Cost of port: $40
Priced at $40, this most recent remaster is the only way to play a legitimate copy of the game on modern hardware. In that respect, it is a success. But it’s difficult not to forget Tales of Symphonia Chronicles, which launched at $40 on the PS3. That bundle included two full HD remasters that also were available separately for $20 each and looked just fine.
4
Red Dead Redemption (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Original release date: May 18, 2010
Port release date: Dec. 1, 2025
Cost of port: $50
If you want to play Red Dead Redemption on current hardware in all its remastered glory, you certainly can. That will be $50, if you don’t mind. The PS3 version is currently still available to buy on that hardware for $30, but it won’t look quite as pretty. The highly-acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2, meanwhile, costs only $10 more.
5
Burnout Paradise Remastered (Switch)
Original release date: Jan. 22, 2008
Port release date: March 16, 2018
Cost of port: $50
Burnout Paradise Remastered arrived on Nintendo Switch with a $50 price tag, despite being available on other consoles for less. To make matters worse, those other editions went on sale for as little as $5 digitally. Eventually, Electronic Arts dropped the permanent price on the Nintendo Store to $30, which is still $10 more than a PlayStation 4 edition offered on the PlayStation Store.
6
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD (Switch)
Original release date: March 20, 2013
Port release date: June 27, 2024
Cost of port: $60
Originally released for 3DS as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is priced at $60. That puts it in line with its followup, Luigi’s Mansion 3, which was developed from the start with more robust hardware in mind. On the 3DS, the game only cost $40. A lot of players will find that an extra $20 feels like a lot of clams for a coat of paint.
7
Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch)
Original release date: Various
Port release date: Sep. 18, 2020
Cost of port: $60
Nintendo released Super Mario 3D All-Stars to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary. The game collects Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. As Nintendo promised, it toured stores for a limited time only, with an MSRP of $59.99. Although it was commonly available at one point, its removal from digital and brick and mortar storefronts has left enthusiasts to hunt for copies on sites like eBay, where it now carries premium pricing as part of the eternal dance between resellers and collectors.
8
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One)
Original release date: Various
Port release date: Nov. 11, 2021
Cost of port: $60
If you want to acquire the original versions of Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on consoles today, you’re out of luck. In 2021, ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, Rockstar scrubbed them from the various storefronts. Apparently, the company didn’t want to compete with its $30 bundle that was already available at that point. The reworked versions carried a heftier price tag: $60. Unfortunately, those “definitive” ports introduced a host of new issues such as disastrous weather effects, plastic character models, lifeless lighting effects, missing songs on the in-game radio stations, and generally poor performance. The games have since been patched and mostly fixed. But for years, the only edition of one of the industry’s most important trilogies that you could buy was unquestionably the worst one.
9
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Switch)
Original release date: Various
Port release date: Oct. 2, 2025
Cost of port: $70
Nintendo remastered Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 and bundled them together for $70, which doesn’t feel like an amazing deal considering their age, even though they look terrific and also play on the Switch 2. Super Mario Galaxy is also available by itself at $40, to spare those who bought Super Mario 3D All-Stars from having to double dip just to complete their collection. However, it doesn’t exactly feel like Nintendo is doing anyone a favor at that price.
Original release date: Nov. 10, 2011
Port release date: Sep. 29, 2022
Cost of port: $50 – $80
Skyrim came out in 2011, and it was a really good game. It’s still a really good game, but it has also turned into a punchline because you can find it on nearly every major platform to come along since its release. Convenient access is a win, so that’s not the problem. What we take issue with is the price. On the Switch, Skyrim released in 2017 for $60. It’s down to $50 now, but that doesn’t include DLC. To get the DLC, you’ll either need to pay $20 for an upgrade, or start by purchasing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition instead at $60. You’re effectively penalized for showing support early. The game has since come to Switch 2, where it is offered as a free upgrade if you already bought the Switch version and its expanded content. Otherwise, you can acquire it for $18.99. As an aside, Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Sony hardware includes both the PS4 and PS5 editions of the game for $50 total.
Ports and remasters will likely continue to proliferate software libraries, particularly with the Nintendo Switch 2 allowing classic games to reach dedicated Nintendo gamers for the first time. While those games cost money to develop, even when they’re essentially direct ports, some publishers charge a premium that benefits no one. It’s always a good idea to be mindful of a game’s value when considering any purchase, and it’s not a bad idea to keep three magical words in mind: wait for sales.
