- A new report claims that Nintendo Switch 2 consoles made in China are still subject to 145% US tariffs.
- All the game consoles made in the country will suffer a similar fate and be severely impacted by the tariffs.
- While exemptions were recently announced for electronics by the US government, they do not cover video game consoles.
The tariffs announced by the US shook the entire gaming scene. Still, the 90-day reprieve and exemptions announced for electronics, computers, chips, and the like suggested that gaming consoles might be protected. However, that does not appear to be the case.
A new report claims that Nintendo Switch 2 consoles made in China are still subject to 145% US tariffs. These surcharges apply to any goods made in the country, so other gaming consoles are also said to be included in the dooming list.
Why it matters: The exemptions not covering game consoles suggest that goods produced in China could suffer a severe price hike. Nintendo might retaliate by shifting Switch 2’s production to other countries.
Nikkei Asia elaborates that an internal assessment by a major Nintendo and Apple supplier says that game consoles made in the US are not safe from US tariffs. This is concerning news because most of Nintendo’s Switch 2 production happens in the country.
Similarly, many of Sony’s PlayStation 5 consoles are also made in China. Even though Sony was exploring ways to avoid increasing the price, the reciprocal tariffs will likely cause consumers to suffer a major hike in pricing for both Switch 2 and PS5s.
An analyst previously suggested that Switch 2 handhelds could cost as much as $550. However, since the US tariff rate has further increased for the Chinese region, the pricing might be more unstable than expected.
Nintendo is already making a smaller quantity of Switch consoles in Vietnam, and it will likely continue to shift more of its production away from China to avoid being hit with higher local tariff rates.
Do you think Switch 2 and other video game consoles will be affected by US tariffs, or will the policies adapt to ensure the gaming industry does not suffer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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