Americans are spending more on game consoles in 2025, compared to August of last year, and that's mostly thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2 and tariffs. Hardware sales topped $312 million in the US in August, up 32 percent from $236 million in August of 2024, according to Circana. That's a huge increase, especially considering that sales of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and original Switch all fell by double-digit percentage points year over year.
This summer, Nintendo raised the prices of it's previous generation Nintendo Switch consoles following President Donald Trump's announcement to impose new tariffs on a range of countries. The base model Nintendo Switch, which originally launched at $300, is now sold for $340 new. You can, however, find the Nintendo Switch for much less than even the starting price. Buying refurbished hardware is a great way to save some money while refreshing what you play or work with.