Trump's new tariffs will have a heavy impact on physical games
, by Thibaut
While physical media now accounts for a much smaller share of video game sales than the digital one, there are some gamers left who still prefer to have a good disc in their hands.
But U.S. President Donald Trump could unfortunately put this in even more jeopardy, with tariffs of up to 25% imposed on goods from Mexico and Canada. The same applies to China, with a 10% increase in customs duties.
According to Niko Partner analyst Daniel Ahmad, this increase in import costs will have a major impact on physical video games sold on the North American market. After all, Mexico is one of the main manufacturers of these products.
Furthermore, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella added that he would not be surprised to see publishers definitively abandon the physical format due to these excessive customs fees. After all, the industry's main players are already moving towards being digital-only...
In any case, American consumers could end up paying more for their games. It remains to be seen what will happen to the European market.
Source: bsky.app