While it’s outside our usual expertise, we’ve been reporting on the ongoing US-China trade war in bits and pieces, largely because it has the possibility to have a direct effect on the gaming market as a whole. Sony has already said that the tariffs could see PlayStation consoles hike in price, for instance. Well, it seems we won’t have to worry about it, at least for the remainder of the year, as the tariffs have been delayed.
As announced by The United States Trade Representative, the tariffs have been delayed until December 15th. They were originally set to go into effect on September 1st. The organization also said that some items would be taken off the list entirely “based on health, safety, national security, and other factors.” What items that includes was not detailed.
The move has seen some push back from the industry, as the three platform holders united to send letter to the current US administration opposing the tariffs. This delay means this year’s holiday shopping won’t be affected, but it still means next generation consoles could be, if the tariffs still go through by the year’s end.