Pokémon Home Edition Spotted at Costco — Is Stern's $5,000 Pinball Machine Launching Today?

It looks like Stern Pinball's Pokémon Home Edition may have arrived at Costco — and the first leaked photos are certainly getting people talking.

Two photos showing the new machine on the floor at a Costco in the Kansas City area appeared online today, August 12, with reports pointing to a $5,000 price tag and a launch happening today.

Stern has not yet made an official announcement about the Costco version, so for now, this is still a developing story.

But based on what we can see, the machine looks surprisingly good.

A Very Different Pokémon

The first thing that stands out is the artwork.

The Home Edition doesn't simply look like a stripped-down version of the Pro. Instead, it appears to borrow visual elements from across the Pokémon lineup, creating something that sits somewhere between the Pro, Premium and LE designs.

That makes it considerably more interesting than a simple budget version.

The cabinet still has the unmistakable Pokémon identity, but the combination of artwork and design details gives this version its own personality.

And honestly, from these first photos, it looks like a proper Pokémon pinball machine.

What Has Changed?

There are clearly differences between the Home Edition and the full Stern machines, but it is difficult to determine exactly what has been removed or redesigned from two photographs alone.

Some playfield elements appear different, and the Home Edition obviously isn't intended to be a direct replacement for the Pro or Premium.

That's normal.

Stern's Home Edition machines are designed to bring the pinball experience into a more accessible home product, using a simplified design while retaining genuine pinball hardware and Stern's SPIKE electronics platform. The previous Jurassic Park Home Edition Plus, for example, was built around genuine Stern commercial-quality components and included Insider Connected.

The interesting question with Pokémon is how much of the original experience Stern managed to retain.

$5,000 for Pokémon at Costco?

The reported price is $5,000, which makes this a particularly interesting proposition.

The regular Pokémon Pro currently carries a $6,999 MSRP, while the Premium is $9,699 and the LE is $12,999.

That puts the Home Edition substantially below the Pro while still giving Costco shoppers the chance to own a full-size Pokémon pinball machine.

Whether $5,000 is the sweet spot is another question.

For experienced pinball collectors, the difference between a Home Edition and a Pro will obviously matter. But Costco isn't necessarily targeting the hardcore pinball collector.

Put a Pokémon pinball machine in front of thousands of Costco shoppers, and suddenly people who have never seriously considered owning a pinball machine are seeing one during an ordinary shopping trip.

That could be very interesting for the hobby.

And Yes, You Can Still Mod It

For us, one of the most interesting things is that there is already a huge amount of Pokémon artwork to work with.

Wizard Mod currently makes mods for the regular Pokémon lineup, including the Pokémon WizBlades and other cabinet artwork designed for the Pro, Premium and LE models.

The full Pokémon Pinball Mods collection gives owners plenty of ways to customise the regular machines.

Whether those products will fit the new Home Edition is another matter. We wouldn't assume compatibility until the dimensions and construction of the new machine are confirmed.

But visually, the Home Edition looks like it could be a fantastic canvas for custom Pokémon artwork.

A Smart Move for Stern?

If this really is Stern's new Costco strategy, Pokémon might be one of the best possible themes for it.

The first Pokémon pinball machine has already generated enormous attention worldwide since its launch earlier this year, with Stern describing the response as unprecedented for a pinball release.

Now imagine someone walking through Costco, seeing a Pokémon pinball machine for $5,000 and thinking:

"I could actually put that in my house."

That's a very different sales pitch from asking someone to find a pinball distributor, choose between Pro, Premium and LE, arrange shipping and spend close to $7,000 or more.

If the Home Edition performs well, it could become an important gateway into pinball ownership.

The First Photos Look Promising

We still need official information from Stern before we can properly judge the machine.

But based purely on these first leaked images, the Pokémon Home Edition looks much more convincing than a cheapened-down version of the game.

The artwork is strong, the cabinet looks good, and the mix of design elements from the Pro, Premium and LE gives it a surprisingly distinctive appearance.

Now we just need Stern to tell us exactly what is inside it — and whether that $5,000 price is really the launch price.

For now, consider this one very much to be continued.