With reports already out there that the next generation of consoles could be a bit more expensive than this one, US politics certainly aren?t helping the matter. GamesDaily.biz reports that, as part of the Trump administration?s ongoing trade dispute with China, a new proposal would add a 25% tariff on ?essentially all products not already covered by previous tariffs,? which catches video game consoles, controllers, and other gaming products in its net. We previously reported on tariffs that could impact the games industry at the end of last year, and there was another report in 2017 about a similar idea. Initially, the proposals were around 5-10% increases, but the escalating trade war that?s been happening with this administration has caused these numbers to soar up to 25%. Consoles, particularly early in their release, are usually sold at a loss, with costs recouped through services, software, and establishing a strong footprint in the market. Current speculation puts the upcoming PlayStation 5 at about $499 at launch, with many saying that would still be a loss based on the tech that Sony plans to load it up with. If 25% tariffs on Chinese imports become a factor, it could have a significant impact on Sony?s pricing plans for next-gen. That?s not a cost that the company could easily eat, and it?s likely we?d see it passed on to the consumer in some form.

PB = PB || {};
PB.gptStandAlone = PB.gptStandAlone || {};
PB.gptAutoRefresh = P...