The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new round of semiconductor tariffs that could directly affect gaming hardware in the United States. According to a new report from Politico, one proposal under discussion could expand tariffs beyond individual chips to products containing them, including gaming consoles and laptops.
Obviously, that raises the possibility of higher hardware costs if the proposal moves forward. However, the plans remain under discussion, and no new tariff targeting gaming consoles has been formally announced.
In brief
- The Trump administration is considering broader tariffs on semiconductors and products containing chips.
- Gaming consoles and laptops are among the products that could potentially be affected.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly supports tariff relief tied to investment in US semiconductor manufacturing.
- The proposal is still being developed and could change before any official announcement.
New Semiconductor Tariffs Could Include Gaming Consoles
The Trump administration is weighing several approaches for another round of semiconductor tariffs. One option would significantly expand the products covered by the duties, potentially including gaming consoles, laptops, and data center servers.
The proposal could therefore have much wider consequences than simply increasing the cost of importing individual semiconductor components.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly favors a system that would allow companies to import a certain quantity of chips without tariffs based on how much semiconductor production they commit to building in the United States.
A phased introduction of the tariffs is also reportedly being considered.
Gaming Hardware Is Currently Protected by Key Exemptions
The situation is different from the semiconductor tariff introduced in January 2026. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on a narrow category of advanced computing chips at the time. However, the official proclamation specifically exempted chips imported for non-data-center consumer applications, along with several other uses.
Could Gaming Hardware Prices Increase?
If finished gaming products such as consoles are eventually included, manufacturers would face additional import costs when bringing affected hardware into the United States. How those costs would influence retail prices would depend on the final tariff rates, exemptions, manufacturing locations, and how much of the added expense companies choose to absorb.
The White House told Politico that reshoring semiconductor manufacturing remains one of Trump’s priorities. Any final tariff framework could still be substantially revised in the coming weeks or months.
