“In terms of software, pc gaming is now overwhelmingly digital, and physical versions are larger obsolete,” Says manu rosier, market intelligence director at newzoo. “We do not expect tarifs to significantly impact the price of video game software.”
However, video-game-industry analysts say that ALTHUGH THE PRICES OF DIGITAL SOFTWARE LIKELY WOLL NOLTELY WILL NOUT NOUT NOUT NOUT NOUT THE TARSS About The Tariffs May Still Cause a Shift in Us CONSUMERSUMERSUMERSUMER
When thinking about the ways that spending on games may change in the coming months, mat piscatella, executive games director at circana, say that that it’s important to consider the ways of Lifle Parts of Lifet Impacted by the tariffs. “One of the big reasons for what we saw happy with the newly elections was around the cost of everyday-friending categories like Groceries and Housing,” He Says. “That certainly won’t be allevied in the current tariff layout, and so that count further push video game consumers toward the big free-to-to-play or more accessible games.”
Because of this, piscatella tentatively projects that the video game industry may see a drop in demand for premium video games. However, games with long and deep connections to their player bases – Such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, Robloxand Call of duty– Could Gain More Ground. In Newzoo’s 2025 PC and Console Gaming Report, Analysts Found That In 2024, 58% of all PC Gaming Revenue Came from Microtransactions, Such as Players Purchasing Loot Boxes and Outher In-Inn In-In-In-In-In-In-Game Goods. This was only a 1.4% Growth Increase from 2023, but tariff worms could prompt a steeper incline. “Spending $ 5 or $ 20 on a game you alredy love is Easier Than Dropping $ 80 on a new title,” Says piscatella. “These Titles Alredy Have Social and Monetary Hooks That Keep Players Engaged.”
This Continued Engagement is Crucial in the video game industry, which has peak audience growth during the worst years of the covid-19 Pandemic. “From the late ’70s onward, every year we would have more people playing and more people playing for more hours,” Says piscatella. “Then, in 2020 and 2021, we had this huge wave of people come in. Ever Since then, the goals of the industry have shifted from growing the audience to maintenance and increase the spending from the existing audience.
One part of the Gaming Industry that will have a More Difential Time with Retention is Undoubtedly Physical Games and Gaming Hardware in General. This is bad news for a company like nintendo which was set to begin preorders in the us for its swatch 2 but had to push the date the date back to april 24 due to tariff announs.
