Consoles become a luxury: AI boom deprives gamers of cheap memory

The global race for AI power has caused a shortage of DRAM chips, threatening the PlayStation, Xbox, and upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 markets with a new price hike. This is stated in a Reuters article, writes UNN.

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The video game industry is under double pressure: after the tariff crisis, the industry was hit by a component shortage. Memory manufacturers, such as Micron, are massively reorienting themselves towards highly profitable solutions for AI data centers, reducing the production of products for consumer devices. In particular, Micron has already announced the cessation of production of the popular Crucial brand.

Price blow to gamers' budgets

Since memory accounts for about 20% of the cost of gaming equipment, analysts predict an inevitable increase in device prices. Console manufacturers, who usually operate with minimal markups, will no longer be able to curb the increase in production costs.

• Gaming consoles: expected price increase of 10–15% over the next two years.
• Gaming PCs: cost could skyrocket by 30%.

Since memory accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total cost of PC components, this hits manufacturers hard.

Forecast for 2026: delays and shortages

The situation will worsen: according to Counterpoint Research, memory prices rose by 30% in the last three months of 2025 alone, and an additional 20% jump is expected in early 2026. This comes against the backdrop of an already recorded 50% increase in component costs since the beginning of the year.

Giants like Dell, Lenovo, and CyberPowerPC have already announced or are planning price increases in the near future. Gamers should prepare not only for higher costs but also for possible delays in the release of new gaming systems in 2026.

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