The import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Trump are once again impacting U.S. gamers, this time affecting Razer's Blade 16 gaming laptop.
Tariffs are essentially taxes placed on the cost of importing certain goods. While it's possible for companies in the supply chain to simply eat these costs, more often than not these taxes are passed onto consumers. And unfortunately for gamers, rising prices are very likely to impact tech and gaming goods.
But some products are now being temporarily pulled from sale. As spotted by The Verge, although the Blade 16 had initially been listed for sale to the U.S. as recently as April 1, the option to order the laptop has now disappeared from the website entirely.
Whereas European gamers can order the all-new gaming laptop right now (well, if it's in stock — it's not in the UK), the U.S. site only invites prospective buyers to hit the "Notify Me" button to get updates — and there aren't any prices listed whatsoever. The Buy Now page takes you to a 404 error page.
It's not just Razer that's quietly removed sale information until the markets settle down, either. The tariffs against China and Taiwan — where many PC components are made — will also affect U.S. players as firms like Micron, a memory manufacturer, warned of surcharges. PC company Framework has "temporarily paused" some U.S. sales completely.
Last week, the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date — initially listed as today, April 9 — was removed in the United States after import tariffs enacted by President Trump sent financial markets spiraling. Just a few days later, the issue spread across the border, with Nintendo Canada also confirming pre-orders would now be delayed there.
Nintendo fans and analysts are now concerned Nintendo will raise the price of the Switch 2 and its games even further, even as it suffers a backlash to its pricing following the console’s reveal.
For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
