The PS5 isgoing up in pricein some regions.
Games themselveswill cost $70, $80, oreven $100.
Retro handhelds are almost certain to increase in price, and by a lot.
The BatlEXP G350, left, and TrimUI Brick, right, are two excellent handheld emulation devices that cost many times less than the latest consoles.© Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
As it currently stands, consoles dont get acarveout from tariffsthat other electronics like smartphones will.
She wasnt talking about thesmall-time retro handheld makersofferingsuper-cheap devicesfor playing games via emulation.
And yet, the iPhone maker maystill increase pricesone way or another.
The Analogue Pocket, known for playing legitimate Game Boy games with FPGA emulation. It could also see major impact from Trump tariffs. © Andrew Liszewski / Gizmodo
Im already enamored by their old-school feel and massive potential even with their relatively low-end specs.
Now, under Trump, the exemption is almost guaranteed to meet its demise.
The de minimis exemption has made enemies on both sides of the political divide.
A Miyoo Mini, left, and an Anbernic RG35XX. © Andrew Liszewski / Gizmodo
They specified a 30% tax for the value of a shipment or $25 per item.
That will increase to $150 per item on June 1.
These duties will effectively become a tax on every U.S. resident who wants to buy a product from China.
For retro gamers, this could possibly triple the price of all those once-cheap handhelds.
A Retroid Pocket 5which is used for emulating games from the GameCube era or beyondsits at $220.
Thats nearly the price of a Switch 2 orSteam Deck.
Those tariffs could have a major impact on the brands that make these handhelds as well.
These gadget makers are known for pushing new devices out the door with reckless abandon.
Anbernic just announced a newRG557 handheldthats supposed to take on other $200 devices.
None of these companies have relayed what could happen to their products after the tariff deadline.
Russ Crandall, a former food blogger and cookbook author, started hisRetro Game CorpsYouTube channel around that time.
Crandall told me over email the hobby has grown precipitously even after lockdown ended.
But that could change after the end of de minimis exemptions.
So far, Crandall said he hasnt heard anything from the many brands he works with.
That likely means theyre keeping plans under lock and key while the global economic situation remains fluid.
Worse, he said increased prices will impact sales of entry-level handhelds the hardest.
A Nintendo DS with two times the screens started at $150 ($251 in 2025).
In 2011, consumers voted with their wallets and refused to buy a Nintendo 3DS for $250.
Nintendo then dropped the price to $170.
The Nintendo DS from 2005 was even more successful worldwide.
Nintendoabandoned the 3DS eShop in 2024, but that didnt end the platforms popularity.
The hobby may remain niche, but major gamemakers could change that.
It even announcedGameCube games were coming to Switch 2.
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