Tariffs are impacting PS5’s prices, so is Switch 2 next?

We’ve got bad news, gamers.

On Thursday, Sony’s planned $50 price hike for PlayStation 5 (PS5) officially went into effect in the United States. For those stateside, the updated prices across the board will now be:

Needless to say, this is a brutal turn of events for anyone still hoping to jump into the current generation of gaming and play blockbusters like Astro Bot, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and the upcoming Ghost of Yotei.

The question on the tip of everyone’s tongue in this situation is simple: Are Donald Trump’s tariffs to blame?

No one has an exact answer because it’s not something you can precisely confirm. But when Sony makes a substantial price increase for its flagship console nearly a half-decade into its lifespan (this is usually the point when you would see a price decrease, if any), it’s hard not to reach that conclusion. After all, the United States’ tariffs do impact China’s and Japan’s manufacturing hubs and supply chains, which is where a lot of key video game pieces are constructed.

We can reach a similar conclusion when Sony itself uses this kind of language: “We continue to navigate a challenging economic environment.”

So, if you were about to snag a PS5 and are upset by this price increase, you can probably blame the recent tariffs.

Is a price hike for the Nintendo Switch 2 next?

At the moment, there’s no sign that Nintendo plans to increase the base price of its new console because of the United States’ tariffs. However, it should be noted that after Nintendo delayed initial Switch 2 preorders, gave it a price tag nearly $150 higher than the original Switch at the time of its release, and then recently increased the price of the original Switch (an eight-year-old console!), the U.S.’s tariffs have likely already had a huge impact on the Japanese company’s business plan.

And if that’s the case, well, a price increase for the Switch 2 feels inevitable. Though, according to analyst Daniel Ahmad, it probably won’t happen until 2026. Here’s what he said on X:

Needless to say, if you really want a Switch 2 and don’t want to pay more for it than it’s currently listed, I would strongly suggest buying one before the turn of the new year. Otherwise, you’ll likely have to spend even more money on it soon.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: PS5 price increase: U.S. tariffs to blame? Is the Switch 2 next?