If Donald Trump goes ahead with his plan to impose big tariffs, it could make gaming consoles, laptops, and other electronics much more expensive for Americans.
During his campaign, Trump said he would put a 60% tariff on products from China. This means that products like video game consoles, laptops, and even gaming accessories could cost a lot more.
Across the board, the tariffs will cause significant price increases for U.S. consumers:
- Laptops and tablets by 46%
- Video game consoles by 40%
- Smartphones by 26%.
For example, a new gaming console like the PS5 Pro could end up costing close to $1,000 instead of its current price. Laptops and tablets could become 46% more expensive.
Why does this happen? Tariffs are a kind of tax added to products that come from other countries. If Trump raises the tariffs on products from China, companies that bring these products into the U.S. will have to pay more.
To cover these extra costs, companies will raise the prices of their products, and that means consumers like you will end up paying more when you buy electronics.
A study from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) looked at how these tariffs could affect tech products. It found that products like smartphones, laptops, video game consoles, and even computer accessories could all get much more expensive.
For example, the study showed that a 60% tariff could make a new gaming console cost 40% more. A gaming PC could go up in price by over $100, and high-end graphics cards for gaming could rise by $400.
This would be bad news for many people, especially those who aren’t wealthy. The tariffs would make electronics more expensive, and that could hurt lower-income people more than wealthier ones.
In his first term, Trump imposed some tariffs, but there were exceptions for electronics. It’s not clear yet whether this time, the tech industry will be able to get a similar exemption.
If you’re thinking of buying a gaming console, laptop, or building a new computer, it might be a good idea to buy it before January 2025 when Trump could take office again. After that, prices could go up significantly due to the tariffs.