Grand Theft Auto 6, the most anticipated video game release of the year – and possibly the decade – may have a higher price tag due to the new tariffs implemented in the United States. Tariffs, a tax applied to imported goods, have historically raised consumer prices, even domestically made products. This means that the gaming industry will likely see a price hike for physical copies of games and consoles, since most electronics are produced overseas.
Recent news has already shown that tariffs affect American consumers, as Nintendo hasindefinitely delayed pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2in the United States. While this uncertainty surrounding the pricing and availability of games may be expected for foreign companies like the Japanese-based Nintendo,even American companies like Rockstar Games are likely to be affected by rising costs. These costswill quickly trickle down to consumers and may cause the price ofGrand Theft Auto 6to be even higher than expected.
Industry Analysts Have Raised Concerns Over Tariffs After Nintendo’s Announcement
The Switch 2 Is Set To Release On June 5
Concerns over tariffs have finally been realized after Nintendo announcedpre-orders for the Switch 2in the United States would be indefinitely delayed. In a full statement,the Japanese company confirmed thatthe delay was due to uncertainty surrounding tariffs. Industry analysts and lobbyists have responded to this news with anxiety, though the impact of tariffs was not unexpected.
Aubrey Quinn, senior vice president of the ESA, explained in an interview withIGNthat tariffs will hurt the entire industry, including American companies and consumers, stating, “Wedo expect these tariffs will have a real and detrimental impact on the industry and the hundreds of millions of Americans who love to play games.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently priced at $449.99.
In response to the Switch 2 news, Quinn said, “If we think it’s just the Switch, then we aren’t taking it seriously. This is going to have an impact.”Elaborating on that impact, Quinn explained thattariffs will raise prices for consumers, decrease spending, cut into the profits of companies that already operate on thin margins, and thus cause job loss across the industry.
The Nintendo Switch 2’s delaymay be a sign that the company is considering a new, likely higher, pricefor the next-generation console, which may be a trend for the gaming industry going forward. Since thehigh price of the Switch 2 and its launch titleshave already caused backlash among fans, the company must be concerned that any further price increases will cause customers to abandon the console entirely.
Video Games & Electronics Will See An Increase In Price
Tariffs Will Impact The Entire Gaming Ecosystem
With the massive number of tariffs being applied to practically every U.S. trading partner around the world, lobbyists and analysts have predicted a devastatingly negative impact on the video game industry in terms of increased prices for consumers, potential job loss for developers, and reduced investment for research and development in the future.Since tariffs willincrease the price of creating goods like physical copies of games and the consolesneeded to play them, even for American companies, that cost will be passed along to players.
If You’re Outraged By GTA 6’s Rumored $100 Price, You Might Want To Check The Cost Of GTA On PS1 When Adjusted For Inflation
Grand Theft Auto 6’s price could reach triple digits, but comparing the price of AAA games from the first GTA’s release may shed some light on why.
As prices go up and wages stagnate, American players won’t be able to spend as much money on luxury goods like games, which will in turncause a general downturn for the gaming industry. The Nintendo Switch 2 was the first obvious sign of tariffs' impact, but the negative effects won’t end there.The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a lobbying group for the gaming industry, has explained how tariffs will hurt the entire industry in a recent report on tariffs, as “video game consoles are sold under tight margins to reduce the barrier to entry for consumers.”
Tariffs, and the increased cost of manufacturing that comes with them, will“be passed along to consumers, resulting in a ripple effect of harm for the industry.”According to the ESA, “the entire video game ecosystem - game publishers, developers, retailers, other vendors and service providers - would be affected by a decline in the sale of game consoles.”Simply put, once players stop buying consoles due to rising prices,they’ll stop buying games, and the entire industry will decline.
Even As A U.S. Company, Rockstar Games Will Be Affected
Most Video Game-Related Manufacturing Happens Overseas
While it may seem at first glance that the tariffs will only impact foreign companies, like the Japanese-based SEGA and Nintendo, that won’t be the case,asthe effects of tariffs will hit American companies as well. As Quinn explained in her interview, “even American-based companies, they’re getting products that need to cross into American borders to make those consoles, to make those games. And so there’s going to be a real impact regardless of the company. This is company-agnostic, this is an entire industry.”
Nintendo Switch 2 Has Me Worried For The Future Of Physical Games
With Switch 2 games becoming more expensive in multiple regions, one concerning change paints a bleak future for physical releases in general.
Global supply lines are complicated and most of the technology used for video games is made in countries like Vietnam, which was hit with a 46% tariff as reported byThe Economist, which means the components American companies need to buy to create their products, like physical copies ofGrand Theft Auto 6, will be almost 50% more expensive.Despite Rockstar Games being an American company, it too will be hit with higher costs that will be passed along to the consumer. While a significant portion of sales forGTA 6will likely be digital, the tools needed to produce the game for that format will also consist of items from nations facing tariffs.
Even before tariffs were a confirmed reality, the current state of the global market means that Rockstar Games' newest title is entirely likely to carry the dreaded $100 price tag.
Given the concerns over the price ofGrand Theft Auto 6,even before tariffs were a confirmed reality, the current state of the global market means that it’s entirely likely that the newest title by Rockstar Games will reach the dreaded $100 price tag, if not even higher. Of course, no price tag has been announced by Rockstar, as the studio has been completely silent about their game since December 2023, despite its 2025 release window having arrived. While the developers haven’t yet confirmed a price, the new standard pricing announced by Nintendo and the rapidly increasing price of practically everything due to tariffs make an uncomfortably high price a real likelihood.
Source:Rebekah Valentine/IGN,ESA,The Economist
Grand Theft Auto 6
Grand Theft Auto VI is an installment in Rockstar Games' wildly successful franchise. Set in a new location after the events of Grand Theft Auto V, VI will see players arrive in a new sprawling city where they can explore the world they want while completing various story and side quests while taking whatever vehicles players desire.
