The 2026 PC Gaming Price Crisis Explained

The traditional cycle of PC hardware pricing has been broken. Usually, a year after a major graphics card launch, component prices begin to normalize, allowing gamers to build powerful rigs for less. However, 2026 is shaping up to be a stark exception to this rule.

While graphics cards like the Radeon RX 9070 XT and GeForce RTX 5090 have technically become more affordable than their launch prices, that relief is being completely erased by skyrocketing costs elsewhere. The foundation of the gaming PC—memory and storage—is undergoing a massive price correction that threatens to lock many enthusiasts out of the market entirely.

Manufacturers have already signaled that prebuilt systems, often the last bastion of affordability, will see price increases soon. For anyone looking to enter the world of PC gaming this year, the barrier to entry has never been higher.

For years, upgrading RAM was the most cost-effective way to boost system performance. That economic reality has been completely upended. Since November, memory prices have exploded, driven by an insatiable hunger from AI data centers that require massive amounts of high-speed memory to run complex models.

Memory manufacturers have naturally pivoted to serve these deep-pocketed enterprise buyers. The impact on the consumer market has been immediate and brutal:

• DDR5 RAM prices quadrupled in months
• Budget brands like Crucial have ceased operations
• SSD prices are following the same upward trend
• Shortages projected to last until 2028

This shift represents more than just a temporary spike. According to industry analysis, we are witnessing a structural change in how memory is consumed, moving away from cyclical booms and busts toward a sustained period of high demand.

To understand the longevity of this crisis, we must look at the broader market dynamics. Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insight and Strategy, warns that this is not a typical market fluctuation.

"It’s important to remember that in past memory crunches or gluts, they were purely cyclical and the industry was very boom or bust, but with AI we might see a structural change to how memory is consumed."

This sentiment is echoed across the industry. Sag notes that "basically everything will be impacted," with smartphones and PCs facing the biggest hits. Even upcoming consoles, which typically use unified memory, are not immune to the supply constraints affecting the global semiconductor market.

The ripple effect is already visible. SSD prices have climbed sharply, with budget 1TB drives jumping from $60 to $144. As the cost of foundational components rises, the economics of assembling a custom PC are becoming increasingly untenable for the average consumer.

Historically, when component prices spike, consumers turn to prebuilt systems for better bulk pricing. Currently, a custom-built PC with an RTX 5070 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D costs roughly $1,679, while a comparable prebuilt might be found for about $100 less. That slim margin is about to vanish.

At CES, multiple manufacturers indicated that price hikes for prebuilt desktops are imminent. These companies purchase components in bulk, and once their current stock of cheap memory is depleted, they will be forced to restock at current market rates. That cost will be passed directly to the consumer.

The situation is even more dire for high-end builders. Rumors suggest Nvidia is preparing to raise the price of its Blackwell graphics cards, specifically the RTX 5090, due to the sheer amount of GDDR7 memory strapped to the board. With current listings already hitting $5,000, the dream of a reasonably priced flagship GPU is effectively dead.

The looming price hikes cast a shadow over Valve's upcoming Steam Machine. Announced for a vague January or February launch window, the mini PC was initially expected to hit an accessible price point around $800. Given the current hardware climate, that optimism seems misplaced.

Recent data suggests the reality will be much steeper. A Czech retailer recently posted an early listing for the Steam Machine at approximately $950. If memory prices continue their upward trajectory, the device could easily breach the $1,000 mark, positioning it as a premium product rather than the accessible gateway Valve likely intended.

Even the RTX 5070 and Radeon RX 9070 remain relatively close to their MSRP, but this is likely temporary. The less memory a GPU possesses, the less it is impacted by the current crisis, but no segment of the market is truly safe from the inflationary pressure.

2026 represents a fundamental shift in the PC gaming landscape. The days of incremental upgrades and affordable entry points are fading, replaced by a reality where AI infrastructure dictates consumer availability and pricing.

For gamers, the strategy must change. Buying decisions will need to be more calculated, and the expectation of "normal" pricing should be shelved for the foreseeable future. With shortages projected to last years, the industry is settling into a new, higher baseline for hardware costs.

Ultimately, the convergence of AI demand, memory scarcity, and inflated GPU costs creates a challenging environment. Whether you are building a rig or buying prebuilt, the message is clear: the window for affordable PC gaming is closing fast.