Bitcoin. COVID. NFTs. Gamers have survived every hardware price spike the last decade threw at them. But the AI chip shortage of 2025–2026 is shaping up to be the most far-reaching yet — and unlike the others, there’s no clear end in sight. Analysts expect the shortage to continue through all of 2026 and deep into 2027.

How the AI Chip Shortage Is Hitting Gaming Right Now

The root cause: AI data centres are consuming a staggering share of global memory production. Data centres are projected to consume 70% of global memory chip production in 2026, leaving consoles, gaming PCs, handhelds, and smartphones fighting over the scraps.

Impact Area	Detail
DRAM Price Spike	Memory chip prices jumped 50% in 2025; another 20–30% rise projected in early 2026
Gaming PC Prices	Could surge up to 30% as memory costs escalate through 2026
Console Prices	Expected to rise 10–15% within two years (NYU Stern estimate)
Nintendo Switch 2	RAM costs up 41% vs initial projections; price hike under consideration
PS6 Status	Sony reportedly considering delaying PS6 launch to 2028–2029
Steam Deck	All models out of stock in the US; Valve confirmed memory shortages as cause
NVIDIA GPUs	Reportedly pausing new gaming GPU releases in 2026 due to memory costs
Game Prices	$80 games becoming the norm; GTA 6 could push $100
AI Capex (2026)	Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft projected to spend $650B on AI infra this year
Shortage End Date	DRAM price relief not expected before 2028 at the earliest

What This Means for Gamers in Practice

Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed the company is now focused on “monetizing the installed base” and growing software and network services revenue — in plain terms, expect more PS Plus price increases and fewer hardware discounts while Sony waits out the shortage.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said memory price rises weren’t significantly impacting results now, but could impact profitability if component costs remain high longer term. Nintendo’s shares have already dropped more than 15% this year on the back of these concerns.

For PC gamers, the outlook is bleaker. A decently powerful gaming rig for under a grand is going to be very hard to find by 2026, with Lenovo, HP, and Dell already warning customers of imminent price hikes. The one silver lining: cloud gaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming are now genuinely capable alternatives — and at $9.99–$19.99/month, look increasingly attractive against $800+ hardware.

Check our gaming hardware news on TechnoSports and our PS5 and console deals India 2026.

FAQs

Why are gaming console and PC prices rising in 2026?

AI data centres are consuming 70% of global memory chip production in 2026, leaving gaming hardware manufacturers with limited supply and forcing price increases across consoles, GPUs, and gaming PCs.

Is the PS6 being delayed because of the chip shortage?

Sony is reportedly considering delaying the PS6 to 2028 or even 2029 due to the AI-driven memory chip shortage, which would make it the longest gap between PlayStation generations ever.