If you’re expecting the RAM crisis to get better anytime soon, I’ve got some bad news for you. Tech companies and industry analysts don’t think the situation will improve until 2028 at the earliest. Some are predicting more expensive gaming consoles, PCs, and other gadgets even through 2030. However bad you thought the AI-fueled memory and storage were, it’s apparently ten times worse.
The latest dispatch from our terrible RAMpocalypse began with Micron’s earnings report last week. “We expect tight conditions to persist beyond calendar 2027 as a result of AI-driven demand across all segments coupled with structural supply constraints,” CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said. “Even as we expect industry supply to improve gradually in 2028, we currently do not have line of sight as to when memory supply will be able to catch up with increasing demand.” The takeaway was that no one thinks RAM prices can keep rising indefinitely, but no one’s sure when the market will start to self-correct either.
Then there was Lenovo’s presentation at ISC 2026 this week. According to Computerbase, it showed a slide with the recent price history for RAM/DRAM and predicted that even as manufacturers ramp up capacity, the new supply will hardly make a dent given the ongoing arms race by AI hyperscalers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Lenovo’s presenter reportedly joked that prices may “never” fall back to their previous levels even once things calm down, adding that higher rates could be the “new normal” even after 2030. It’s unclear just how much of that framing was a dramatic exaggeration to elicit nervous laughs.
Finally, we have the latest market analysis by financial services group Jeffries. It’s forecasting one massive RAM price hike after another. As reported by Wccftech, the group is predicting a 40-50 percent rise in Q3 2026, followed by another 30-40 percent price hike in Q4 2026. Its latest reports then predict another 40-45 percent jump for 2027, followed by some potential relief in 2028, but only a little bit. It says that supply growth and lower demand could lead to a 15-20 percent price drop that year. The result would still be dramatically higher prices for computers compared to today, heading into 2029.
So if you were shocked by the price of the Steam Machine, in disbelief over the third massive price hike on Xbox Series X/S consoles this week, or worried about further price increases on the PS5 and Switch 2 ahead of a busy holiday season, rest assured, it will all be getting much, much worse. What will this do to the next generation of consoles? Surely Microsoft can’t ship Project Helix if it’s over $1,000? Why would anyone rush to upgrade to a pricey new PS6 after a console cycle full of diminishing returns when it comes to performance?
Well, based on these latest warnings, the answer might be that if Microsoft and Sony wait, things will only get even worse.
