ESA shares statement on Trump tariffs, cites potential harm to video game industry

The ESA is urging the Trump administration to consult with companies before enacting tariffs on gaming hardware.

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President Trump’s proposed tariffs on various goods coming into the United States present a massive economic challenge for the affected industries, including the gaming business. As concerns grow, the Entertainment Software Association has warned of the harm such tariffs could cause for the industry, and urged Trump’s administration to talk with video game companies first.

The ESA shared the following statement with Kotaku on Trump’s proposed tariffs:

There has been much speculation about how the steep new tariffs would impact the price of video game consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, all which are produced outside of the United States.

The tariffs could also affect games themselves, though the adoption of digital storefronts as the primary source of game purchases make it less of an obstacle.

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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