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.
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.
