This GameCube Is Sold for $100,000 and Doesn’t Even Work!

For many gamers, the Nintendo GameCube is a nostalgic icon, home to some of the most beloved titles of the early 2000s. But one particular version of the console has just made history—not for its gaming capabilities, but for its staggering $100,000 price tag. The catch? It doesn’t even work.

A Lost Prototype from Space World 2000

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The GameCube was officially released in 2001, ushering in an era of classics like Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. However, Nintendo had already unveiled the console a year prior at Space World 2000, an exclusive event where the company showcased its next-generation hardware.

While most believed the Space World GameCube prototypes had been lost to time, a rare pre-release model surfaced recently—and it quickly became one of the most expensive Nintendo collectibles ever sold.

A $100,000 GameCube That Won’t Even Power On

According to IGN, this ultra-rare prototype unit was rediscovered in 2023 by Donny Fillerup, a collector known for curating ConsoleVariations, a database dedicated to rare gaming hardware. In 2025, Fillerup decided to auction it off on eBay, setting the price at an eye-watering $100,000. Incredibly, a buyer stepped forward, and the listing disappeared shortly after, indicating a successful sale.

What makes this even more astonishing is that the console isn’t functional. Unlike the retail GameCube, this prototype lacks internal hardware, making it purely a display piece. It also differs slightly from the final 2001 model, featuring a larger frame, redesigned vents, and a transparent logo on top instead of the standard black emblem, allowing a view of the disc inside.

A Collector’s Dream

Despite its non-functional state, this prototype GameCube remains a prized artifact for collectors, offering a rare glimpse into Nintendo’s development process. For the lucky buyer, it’s not about playing games—it’s about owning a piece of gaming history.

While most people might hesitate to drop six figures on a console that can’t even run a game, this sale proves that for true collectors, rarity and nostalgia are worth more than functionality.