memory shortage

Sony's second PlayStation 5 price increase in under a year took effect on April 2, pushing the PS5 Pro to $900 and the standard console to $650 as AI-driven memory demand and trade tariffs compress margins across the gaming hardware industry.

Both GPU makers are shifting mainstream production to 8 GB models as DRAM prices surge 180 percent, MSI calls 2026 its hardest year since founding, and IDC warns the sub-$500 PC market may vanish by 2028.

Valve's cube-shaped SteamOS console faces component shortages that have already shifted the release window twice, but the company insists all three new hardware products will ship this year.