Metal Gear Solid (PS1) — Price Guide & Live Deals

Metal Gear Solid came out on the original Sony PlayStation in 1998. Konami published it and Hideo Kojima directed it. It turned the stealth game into a mainstream genre and is still one of the most collected PS1 titles. The US release ships on two discs, which affects nearly every buying decision below. The feed on this page shows current eBay listings for the US-NTSC PlayStation release. Pick a condition chip (All, Loose, CIB or Sealed) to narrow it down. The notes below cover what each tier should include and what to check before you pay.

What the Metal Gear Solid feed shows

The feed is limited to the US PlayStation release. It filters out the listings most likely to be confused with it:

• Other Metal Gear Solid games on PlayStation. Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions is a separate US PS1 release with "Metal Gear Solid" in its title, and it shows up in the same searches at a lower price. The feed excludes it, along with the Japanese Integral release and the European Special Missions disc.
• Japanese and European copies. The feed drops listings that mention Japan, NTSC-J, PAL, Japanese product codes (SLPM), Konami's Japanese budget label ("The Best") or an obi strip. A Japanese or PAL disc won't boot on an unmodified US PlayStation.
• Sequels and other hardware. Listings that mention later numbered games, the GameCube remake, the Game Boy Color game, or PS2/PS3/PSP/Xbox/Switch releases and collections are excluded.
• Things that aren't the game. Strategy guides, manual-only listings, memory cards with saves, cheat devices, demo discs, posters, figures, shirts and other merchandise are excluded. So are listings selling only Disc 1 or only Disc 2.
• Listings with risk flags. Listings that say untested, not working, broken, for parts or as-is are excluded. So are multi-game lots and bundles, sellers under 50 feedback or under 99% positive, and eBay's "Refurbished" condition grades.

Metal Gear Solid variants & what to look for

• Original print ("Black Label"). The first US retail print. Sellers call it "Black Label" to tell it apart from the later budget reprint, and it generally asks more at every condition tier.
• Greatest Hits reprint. Sony reissued the game in the US under its Greatest Hits budget line. It's the same two-disc game, with Greatest Hits branding on the packaging. Many listings put "GH" in the title.
• Essential Collection disc. A later US box set bundled Metal Gear Solid with its sequels, and its copy of the first game turns up on its own, usually listed as the "long box" or "Essential" version. It's the same game, but collectors treat it as a separate, less sought-after variant. Don't pay Black Label money for one.
• Product codes. Sellers quote SLUS-00594 for Disc 1 and SLUS-00776 for Disc 2 on the US release. They're printed on the discs. An SLPM- code means a Japanese disc.

A listing that just says "PS1" can be any of these. If the price assumes Black Label, look for the print in the photos: the front insert, the spine and the disc labels.

Metal Gear Solid: loose vs CIB vs sealed

Loose means the two discs without the original case and paper. Sellers usually say "Disc Only", "Discs Only" or "Disc 1 & 2". Make sure the listing is for both discs; single-disc listings exist and the feed excludes the ones that say so, but not every seller is clear about it. Prices in this tier move with disc condition (scratches, label wear) and whether the seller says the discs were tested. Some loose discs have been resurfaced. That's a legitimate scratch repair, but it's worth knowing when you compare prices.

CIB (complete in box) means the original case with its front and back inserts, both discs and the instruction manual. Listings that say "No Manual" are presented as near-complete and ask less. The biggest price drivers within CIB are case condition, insert fading or water damage, and Black Label vs Greatest Hits. Some sellers also call out a registration card; treat that as a small extra rather than a requirement.

Sealed copies are still in their factory shrink-wrap, and some are graded and slabbed. Asking prices here depend more on the print and the grade than on the game itself. A graded Black Label copy and a raw Greatest Hits copy are very different purchases even though both show as "Sealed". The feed leaves sealed copies uncapped so graded copies show up.

The price table on this page shows current asking prices for each tier from the live feed.

Metal Gear Solid verification checklist by condition

Loose

• Confirm both discs are included and ask for a photo of each.
• Ask for a photo of each disc's underside. Genuine PlayStation discs are black on the data side. A silver, gold or blue-green underside means a burned CD-R.
• Check the product codes on the discs against the US codes above.
• Look for deep scratches and disc rot (cloudy patches or pinholes when held up to a light). A disc that boots can still fail partway through, and with two discs there are two chances for that.

CIB

• Check that both discs are in the case and that their print matches the inserts (a Greatest Hits disc in a Black Label case is a mixed copy and should be priced as one).
• Confirm the inserts and manual are original prints, not reproductions. Compare against a known-genuine reference photo.
• Ask about cracks and whether the case is the original or a replacement.
• Confirm the manual is included. Sellers who leave it out usually say "No Manual" in the title.

Sealed

• Check the print (Black Label or Greatest Hits) before comparing prices.
• For graded copies, look up the certificate number on the grading company's website.
• Be cautious with raw sealed copies from new sellers. Resealing (re-wrapping an opened copy) happens on valuable PS1 titles. Loose wrap, unusual seams, or a price far below other sealed copies are reasons to ask more questions.

Metal Gear Solid buying gotchas

• Single-disc listings. "Disc 1 Only" and "Disc 2 Only" listings are common and look like cheap loose copies in search results. The feed excludes the ones that say so in the title; read the description of any loose listing priced well below its tier.
• VR Missions at a glance. Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions starts with the same three words and sits next to it in search results. The feed excludes it, but check the title on the insert if you're buying from a broader search.
• Japanese copies listed as "PS1" by US sellers. Japanese copies show up in US search results, sometimes listed as "complete" by US-based sellers. The feed removes the ones whose titles give them away, but check the product codes and the language on the insert before you buy.
• "Black Label" in the title isn't proof. Use the photos to confirm the print, especially at the high end of the CIB range.
• Extra discs. A few sellers list a third disc (usually a demo disc) alongside the two game discs. It isn't one of the game discs, so don't pay a premium for it.

Related pages: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2), Metal Gear Solid (Game Boy).