Let me be blunt: gaming is getting more expensive, and it’s got me worried. Ever since the introduction of President Trump’s new wave of tariffs, things have gone from bad to worse. Some Nintendo Switch 2 games are climbing to $80, accessories cost more than ever, and now Xbox has decided to raise prices on both the Series X and Series S. Oh, and don’t forget their first-party games are jumping to $80 too. This comes not long after Sony raised prices on the PlayStation 5 digital edition in some regions. It’s starting to feel like gaming is slowly pricing itself out of reach.
So, what does this mean for gaming as we know it? Or maybe the better question is, what does it mean for the next generation of consoles and the players who still care about them?
Before we go further, a quick note: this article mixes speculation with facts based on what I’ve observed. You’re free to disagree, but if you do, drop a reason why in the comments. Let’s have the conversation.
Tariffs Are Wrecking the Landscape
These tariffs, some as high as 145%, are aimed at goods from countries like China and Japan, and they’ve caused a ripple effect across the gaming world. Microsoft might say the Xbox Series X price hike is due to “market conditions” or “rising development costs,” but let’s be real, tariffs are a massive part of the equation. They just don’t want to say the quiet part out loud.
The result? Console prices are up. Game prices are up. Accessory prices are up. And it’s only getting worse.
Let’s do the math. A new Xbox Series X is $600. Add three first-party titles at $80 each ($240), plus a controller or headset for another $100, and you’re staring at $900 just to start playing. That’s not a hobby anymore, that’s a luxury purchase.
And before someone says, “Just get Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus,” let’s stop right there. Raising prices and then pushing subscriptions isn’t the answer, it’s a stopgap. Sure, you save upfront, but if Game Pass or PlayStation Plus keep hiking their own prices, how long until that “deal” isn’t worth it either?
Controllers aren’t cheap anymore either. A standard Xbox controller is $70, and those limited or special editions we all love, $80 to $90. That’s just one accessory. If this becomes the new norm, how many people are really going to stay invested in console gaming?
My bigger concern is the next generation. The Nintendo Switch 2 already launched at $450 and $499 depending on the model. Meanwhile, PlayStation and Xbox are raising prices on hardware that’s already five years old. What’s stopping the next consoles from hitting $700, $800, or more?
Traditionally, companies sell consoles at a loss and make it up through software. But when hardware starts higher out of the gate, and those costs are passed straight onto consumers, then what? Would you buy a $700 console? $800? It sounds wild, but based on what we’ve seen, it’s not far-fetched.
And even if tariffs magically disappeared tomorrow, do we really think prices would roll back down? Or would greed keep them locked where they are, with companies happy to pocket the difference?
Let’s be honest: even without tariffs, it already felt like companies were preparing to raise prices. The tariffs just gave them the perfect excuse.
What Gamers Are Saying
When I lined up at GameStop to pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2, I asked about 30 people how they felt about higher prices. Reactions were mixed.
Some didn’t care, they only buy a few games a year, so $80 didn’t seem like a big deal. Others were frustrated. A few said they’ve already started shifting to PC, building rigs, gaming on laptops, or picking up handhelds like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Then there were people who just looked defeated. They weren’t sure if they’d bother with the next generation at all. One person even said they’d stop gaming entirely, though I wasn’t sure if I believed them.
The point is, even if people aren’t venting online, frustration is real. Rising prices are already pushing players to rethink how, or if, they’ll keep gaming.
PC Gaming Isn’t the Safe Haven People Think
Plenty of gamers look to PC as the escape route, but it’s not immune. Hardware was already expensive, and tariffs make it worse. Nvidia GPUs, already overpriced, are climbing higher. Intel and AMD CPUs, same story. Nothing is safe.
Yes, PCs offer flexibility. But if you were hoping to build or upgrade your setup without breaking the bank, that’s becoming harder by the day.
It’s a Mess, and It’s Only Getting Started
Gaming used to be that one thing you could count on to escape the chaos of the world. Now, even that feels uncertain. Whether you’re on console or PC, the cost of playing is skyrocketing, and economic policies like these tariffs are hitting the industry hard.
If something doesn’t change soon, I wouldn’t be surprised if a big chunk of gamers decide they’ve had enough. And honestly? I wouldn’t blame them.
