A sealed copy of Nintendo’s original Super Mario Bros. has sold for US$3 million (A$4.24 million), setting a record for the most expensive video game ever sold.

The copy was sold on June 12 through Heritage Auctions’ Video Games Signature Auction, beating the previous US$2 million record set in 2021, also for a copy of Super Mario Bros.

The game was graded PSA 9.6 A++, reflecting its near-pristine condition.

Heritage said it is the highest-graded known example from the rare early “gloss sticker” production run, used before Nintendo moved to standard shrink-wrap packaging.

Only three sealed copies from that run are known to exist, with this example considered the best preserved.

Adding to its collector appeal, the game was reportedly discovered only months ago inside a brand-new NES Control Deck console bundle, where it had remained untouched for close to 40 years.

The sale cements Super Mario Bros. as one of entertainment’s most important artefacts, with its collectible status now being compared with Action Comics #1, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, and the Pikachu Illustrator trading card.