The Trump campaign has vowed tariffs on everything – especially Chinese goods. That means you could very easily pay more.
Notice: We understand that the collapse of America can be distressing to some American readers, but help is available. If you are suffering from a mental health crisis, you can call 988 to talk to someone.
It’s no secret that convicted felon, Donald Trump, has long been pushing for slapping tariffs on everything. This includes potentially ripping up the USMCA/CUSMA trade agreements or cutting Mexico out of the trade pact. In addition to that, slapping massive tariffs on all imports. I’ve seen a lot of numbers thrown around, but all of them are huge. Among those numbers are 20%, 60%, 100%, or even 200%.
The ironic thing about all of this is that this was being pushed for while promising to lower the cost of everything while tackling inflation. Yet, basic common sense that such efforts will drive up the cost of everything and send inflation through the stratosphere. Of course, in the post logic era, black is white, up is down, short is long, and tariffs will lower the cost of everything and push down inflation.
If there was one thing gamers have long complained about, it’s the cost of buying games and consoles. It’s not like they are wrong about these complaints. After all, games have been known to cost $80 and up each. Consoles have already pushed through the $800 barrier and the PS5 Pro, in some instances, have been approaching the $1,000 barrier already. Gaming is expensive as all heck and gamers have long complained about how games are so ridiculously expensive.
If gamers are hoping for a reprieve from all of their complaints, they’ll be left disappointed. This is because Trump has been promising to slap massive tariffs on Chinese imports particularly hard. As a result, it’s not entirely out of the question that a console could cost $1,300 if those tariffs take effect. From Gizmodo:
Donald Trump has won the presidency and, if he actually goes through with some of his policy proposals, the consequences for gamers will be stark. One of the reasons electronics are so cheap in America is its robust trade relationship with China.
During the campaign, Trump said he’d impose a baseline 60% tariff on Chinese exports. If he does that, the price of all the stuff gamers love is going to go up. Laptop prices could spike by almost 50%. The cost of video game consoles could rise around 40%, making the upcoming PS5 Pro cost almost $1,000. The Switch 2 may be backward compatible, but it may cost quite a bit more than the original.
Trump campaigned on punishing China for a perceived trade imbalance with the United States. It was a winning issue for him in his original campaign, and one he acted on, and he spent time on the campaign trail saying he’d do it again. Trump’s broad plan is to encourage a return of U.S. manufacturing through restrictive tariffs. A tariff is a flat tax on a trade good. Trump’s two big proposals are a 10% to 20% import tariff on all goods from other countries and a 60% tariff on goods from China.
The study looked at ten different consumer tech products: smartphones, laptops, connected devices, video game consoles, and various computer accessories. According to the study, a tariff on electronics from China would have the immediate effect of spiking prices and the long-term effect of driving manufacturing to other countries. Critically though, those other countries would not be the United States. It’s still too expensive to make stuff in America and keep costs down.
“Across the board, the tariffs will cause significant price increases for the U.S. consumer,” the study said. The CTA estimated that laptop and tablet costs would go up 46%, smartphones would go up 26%, and video game consoles would spike 40%. That kind of increase would put the cost of the forthcoming PS5 Pro at just under $1,000. A top-of-the-line GPU, the kind used for AI and gaming, could bloat from around $900 to $1,300. The price of monitors would go up $109, desktops would go up around $74 overall, and headphones could cost an extra $35.
It’s no secret that there is an affordability crisis already. An increasing portion of the population is viewing home ownership as a luxury rather than a basic necessity. People are having to choose between food and a roof over their heads. There are families where the parents are going hungry so that their kids can have food. Food bank usage has gone up over the years. These are simply the realities of today.
Yet, if those tariffs actually go through, then the prices you see today will seem like quaint little minor inconveniences by comparison. Yes, video game consoles do fall squarely on the category of discretionary spending whereas food is much more essential. Still, all of the above would be affected by tariffs that are slapped on goods across the board. Video game fans are likely going to get hit particularly hard by all of this, though. So, it’s nice to have these warnings ahead of time so if plans can be made, well, people can make them.
(Via BoingBoing)
Notice: We understand that the collapse of America can be distressing to some American readers, but help is available. If you are suffering from a mental health crisis, you can call 988 to talk to someone.
