Multiple retro hardware companies are pulling out of the US market
Qualcomm
At least two different retro game hardware companies have stopped shipments to the United States in response to Trump’s tariffs, citing the risk of delays and lost packages. Last week, Retrotink announced it would temporarily end its US orders on April 28, and now Anbernic has followed suit with an updated shipping policy.
Retrotink CEO Mike Chi said, “Due to lack of guidance on how tariffs will be collected starting May 2nd, we’ve made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend US shipment.” He points out that there is some reserve stock in the United States, so you might still be able to buy Retrotink devices for a limited time. “We also expect that this will be resolved eventually – but it is impossible to say when or how,” Chi said.
Anbernic updated its shipping policies to reflect a similar sentiment. “Due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, we will be suspending all orders shipping from China to the United States starting today. We strongly recommend prioritizing products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence.”
Again, the company doesn’t seem to feel these are permanent changes. The policy says, “As soon as we receive confirmed updates regarding import duties, we will promptly inform our customers and publish our revised policy on the website.”
The tariffs have had a far-reaching impact on the gaming industry. Although the Nintendo Switch 2 remained the same price as first announced, several of its accessories and related items have seen a price hike. Other companies like Razer announced pauses on its products to the United States for the same reason. While some companies are finding workarounds or ways to maintain supply without increasing costs, others have made the decision to withdraw from the market until economic conditions become more predictable.
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