The cost of gaming is soaring – but for many fans, a game is ‘worth’ more than its price tag

Now is not a good time to buy a new games console.The shock waves from Donald Trump’s will-he-won’t-he approach to trade tariffs were always going to hit video games, an industry that relies on incredibly complex global supply chains. On Monday, Nikkei Asia reported on analysis from a major electronics supplier suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be subject to Trump’s 145% tariff on goods imported to the US from China, despite his apparent decision to exempt smartphones and computers.This came after Nintendo announced it would delay US pre-orders on the console, “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.” Meanwhile, the Guardian has reported on Sony’s plans to increase the price of the PS5 by 25% in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, citing “a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”The games industry is already struggling with the punishing economics of triple-A game development....