Gamers' wallets may be in for another hit. According to reports, the Trump administration is considering imposing a new round of large-scale tariffs on semiconductors. The scope of taxation will not be limited to chips themselves but will expand to all end products containing semiconductor components, including laptops, game consoles, graphics cards, and memory.
The White House has stated that bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States is President Trump's "top priority," hoping to use tariffs to force companies to relocate production lines to the US. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick favors linking tariff exemptions to corporate investment in chip manufacturing within the US. However, building an advanced chip factory costs billions of dollars and takes years, meaning domestic US capacity cannot meet demand in the short term. Some tech industry insiders have bluntly called this "the most foolish way to pursue US AI dominance, akin to shooting oneself in the foot at the starting line."
In fact, game hardware prices have already remained high for some time. Driven by memory shortages caused by the AI boom, the PS5 price has risen by $150 compared to its launch price, the Xbox Series X has increased by $300, and the Switch 2 is also planned to see a $50 price hike in September. Reports indicate that current prices for the PS5 and Xbox Series are approaching twice their original suggested retail prices.
If the new tariffs are officially implemented, hardware such as graphics cards, memory, and game consoles will face further price hikes. This is undoubtedly bad news for players waiting for prices to drop—with Grand Theft Auto VI set to release on November 19, sales of the PS5 and Xbox Series are expected to surge significantly. The combination of rising demand and tariff costs means console prices are unlikely to fall in the short term.
The tariff proposal is currently still under discussion, with specific rates, scope, and implementation timeline yet to be finalized. However, for players looking to buy a new console or upgrade their PC, waiting could mean paying a higher price.