If you were worried or confused about how soon you would be spending the goods – – Especially technology – You're not alone.
On the eve of the Trump administration tariffs (first A. A “reciprocal tariff” breakThen Exceptions to a particular technologyAnd then going back, said exceptions), you are not the only one with Whiplash from trying to continue.
But if you are a gamer, unfortunate truth stems from the news of the news: no matter what the situation with the tariffs, expect you to pay more for your hobby.
Nintendo posted the switch 2 The console earlier this month, and some of its games are priced higher than people are used to: $ 80 for digital and $ 90 for physically. However, should the price be really unexpected?
Like most gamers, I wasn't very thrilled by those priced markings. But almost two decades ago I paid $ 50 for PlayStation 1 and 2 games. The current generation games cost about $ 70. That's just an increase of $ 20 over 20 years. Which other technological product had this kind of stagnation of prices?
Tariffs are likely to increase hardware costs, but the games themselves may not be directly affected. But that does not mean that prices are not rising.
Brad Hendricks, CEO of Blind Squirrel AD, told me that he hoped people realize that developers and publishers were not raising prices to try to break off consumers. “Having a price of $ 60 or 15 years is wonderful,” he said, “but the reality is, the price of everything has risen.”
The blind squirrel is the studio behind Bioshock: The collection and has loans for big games like God of War 2018, Avowed and New World.
There are numerous reasons why your games can soon cost you more. Let's get into that.
Tariffs and video games: What's going on?
I know the question of every gamer's mind right now is: “Will Trump's tariffs So I will spend more on games soon? “Well, yes and no.
The tariffs “will surely affect the hardware,” Hendrix said. “So Nintendo will have to raise the price, it's my assumption. That would be true for Xbox and PlayStation, as well as computers or anything else that is connected to the hardware.”
So, if 145% tariff for China – where PlayStations and Xboxes are primarily produced – you will finish, you will end up paying more for these products.
But Nintendo Moved Production of Console for switches From China to Vietnam in 2019. And since reciprocal tariffs were paused for all countries aside from China, you may not see a Significant increase in switch 2 prices in the US -at least during the 90-day period of the break. This may be the reason why Nintendo has decided to set a proposal for his new console at rest in the US and China.
As for physical games, they are made everywhere:
- Most are manufactured in Mexico, which was hit by a 25% tariff earlier this year.
- PlayStation 5 games are made in Austriawhich is part of the European Union and at least temporarily subjected to only the basic tariff of 10%.
- Nintendo games are primarily produced in China, so The cost of switch 2 games could be more difficult to hit by tariffs.
Digital games, which do not have physical components for imports from other countries, will not be affected by tariffs.
But Hendricks said the tariffs or not, he was not shocked by the news of a higher price for Nintendo's games. He believes that games across the board should notice an increase in the price to take into account the higher development costs.
“Before the whole tariff discussion appeared, there were many conversations in the industry: when publishers start moving the needle forward?” He said.
Now, AAA's new game costs $ 70 before the tax. Hendricks said that if gamers want to see real graphics, innovative features and the game they expect, they will need to be ready to show their support with their wallets.
Maybe not what you want to hear, but the prices of the game are likely to appear
When the Switch 2 was released to its higher than the expected price of prices-in combination with higher prices for both physical and digital games with switches and A. Paid walk through The features of the switch – people reacted negatively. Understandably.
No one wants to hear that they will have to use more about their favorite pastime. Continues Fears of inflation and recession They left us all a little cautious, and the back of the tariffs sent him Roller Driving Stock Exchange.
Moreover, the federal minimum wage has not seen up since 2009, when it descended to $ 7.25 – which is not enough to live during these attempts, let alone available income to spend on games. So if you ask to pay more for games, it makes sense.
However, at the same time, the price of everything for All Go up. Including gaming developers.
There are three basic types of games:
- Indy games, which are solo or small groups of efforts, made by developers who produce modest -volume titles that are published only digitally and can be minimally affected by tariffs.
- AA (double A) games, which are usually produced from a smaller medium budget study.
- AAA (triple a) games that extinguish your ubisofts and activists – a huge study with budgets to suit.
The development of the game is not a cheap industry.
Hendricks said that when it comes to developing triple-a games, the low end is probably in the range of $ 20 to $ 60 million, not including marketing and what not. “So,” he said, “if you have a $ 100 million budget, it will usually cost – with (distribution), marketing and everything else – probably closer to $ 200 million.”
Hendricks said he is a developer, not a publisher, so he does not have all the information. But what he has is more than 30 years of experience in industry, with a unique insight into the game and running a studio, including engaging talent.
Creating a video game takes a team of artists, developers, sound designers, QA testers, writers, actors and many others. Maintaining these teams in the United States is becoming more expensive.
“I think there should be a change in consumer minds,” Hendrix said. “Because some of the best developers in the world are currently fighting.”
Video game publishers set the price for games, but Hendrix said they were hesitant to raise prices for fear of reaction. The reality, however, is that if gamers want to continue to experience important, innovative stories, they will need to be ready to support the study they are doing.
So when will the prices of the game be raised?
Despite Nintendo, no other publisher announced an increase in the price. But that will probably change after the Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out.
“Everyone now holds the breath:” What will GTA do? “” Hendricks said. The title investor, Rockstar Games, has “a little bit of nothing to lose to go more expensive, because everyone will buy it regardless of the cost.”
GTA 5, released in September 2013, is one of the best -selling video games of all time. Since February 2025, 210 million copies have been sold, According to statistics.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 expected to release on June 5, and the GTA 6 scheduled for this fall, rising the price for gaming across the board is likely to come after these two main releases.
Hendricks said that if Rockstar appreciates its game at $ 129, $ 179 or even $ 200 – as predicted – it will pave the way for other publishers to do the same.
How can you afford to be a gamer in 2025 and beyond?
Hobby budgeting is not always the easiest thing, especially if you are in something expensive as games. I know I'll still buy games even if they go up. Jack, I will probably collect the GTA 6 at some point – until they are $ 200, anyway.
If nothing else, raising prices will make me more intentional about the games I buy. I will not be able to buy every big title as soon as it comes out, but I will collect the games when I have money to burn. Try these tips to afford upcoming games.
Use credit card points
As it stands, I tend to use points for my credit card to reduce gaming costs, with caution that I will never go into credit card debt just to buy the latest game. For example, I used the card rewards to cover the costs of Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Avagged And the kingdom comes deliverance 2.
Each title was announced at $ 70, so saving my points took quite a while, but it's worth it. Knowing which games you want to buy make it easier for cost planning.
I use it Blue Cash Preferred® card from American Express For basic spending like gas and groceries, Chase Sapphire Preferred® card* For eating and trips and Active Card of Wells Fargo Active Cash* About everything else. If I want a game I can't cover with points, I'll slow down to eat out and other frivolous spending to make room for it.
Again, you should never get into a credit card debt to get the latest game. But they are good financial tools if you use them carefully. For example, some credit cards are characterized 0% Introductory Bids for Purchase A few months. This means that your new purchases will not collect interest for a certain time. During that window, you can pay the balance without growing higher.
Think about buying now, pay later
Buy now, pay later Plans usually allow you to divide one payment to four, expanded for more than a month, but be aware that plans vary.
“Buy now, salaries of later programs can be risky-raised payments can cause high fees or affect your credit. So read fine printing and weigh whether the item is really worth it,” said Rita-Sodalad Fernandez Paulino, a personal finance trainer and founder.
She added that people finance all sorts of expensive things that can bring joy. So if video games do it for you, you should not feel shame about using financial tools to support your hobby. “The key is the mind,” she said.
Build it in your budget
Knowing which games are coming to what you want to spend money can help you prepare for costs. Consider starting a Sinking fund – Special saving account to which you add money specifically to finance your games or other hobbies. Your fund may grow even faster by earning an interest in him in A. High yield saving account.
However, sometimes the advice is simply not to buy. If you don't have things like Emergency Fund To cover the unexpected costs, you need to pause before making an expensive purchase like a game or console.
Buy used or renewed
Save games by buying used or trading in old consoles and games you don't use for credit in the store. You may not feel great trading with things you spent a lot of money on a lower price, but if they sit around collecting dust, it can help reduce your costs.
Also, I try not to get into Fomo. The three games I saved are easily over 60 to 70 hours. Once I worked through them, I will be thinking of collecting the next title of my list – which is likely to be DOOM: The dark age After arriving next month. I have already started associating points to try to bring that price lower.
*All information about Chase Sapphir is preferred and the active cash from Wales Fargo has been collected independently of CNET and does not consider the publisher.