Video Games May Become Even Costlier Due to New Tariffs

Gaming has long been an expensive hobby, and it might soon get even pricier.

During Sony’s latest earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao disclosed that the company is exploring the possibility of passing on the expenses from the newly implemented tariffs by the Trump administration to consumers. As reported by The Verge, this could lead to elevated prices for Sony merchandise. Although Tao did not specifically mention the PlayStation 5 (PS5), it is generally anticipated that it will be impacted, as Sony’s gaming segment is its most lucrative. Just last month, the firm escalated PS5 hardware prices in several international regions outside of the United States.

Sony is already accustomed to high pricing. In fact, the company currently offers a PS5 model in the U.S. that sells for $700.

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During the call, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki also remarked that manufacturing PS5 consoles domestically could provide a solution to evade the tariffs. However, relocating production is no easy task. Presently, the majority of PS5 units are manufactured in China, which is now grappling with tariffs of at least 30%. The situation is ongoing, and further developments may occur soon.

These tariffs are already being felt throughout the gaming sector, despite having taken effect for only about a month. Microsoft recently increased prices for both Xbox consoles and games in the U.S.—a deviation from the typical trend where hardware prices drop as a console generation progresses. Concurrently, Nintendo postponed preorders for its forthcoming Switch 2 console in the U.S. by a few weeks. This delay coincided with the announcement of the console’s $450 price, aligning with the tariff situation. Although Nintendo later resumed preorders without altering the console’s price, some accessories did experience price hikes.

In summary, unless the tariffs are lifted, gamers should prepare for additional price increases in the near future.