Consumers anticipating a decrease in RAM prices may face disappointment, as industry analysts and tech companies foresee continued price spikes at least until 2028. Some projections even suggest elevated costs for gaming consoles, PCs, and other electronic devices could persist through 2030.
The current trend in memory and storage pricing is largely attributed to escalating AI-driven demand, which industry leaders describe as significantly impacting supply. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra noted in a recent earnings report that "tight conditions to persist beyond calendar 2027 as a result of AI-driven demand across all segments coupled with structural supply constraints." He added that while industry supply might gradually improve in 2028, there is no clear timeline for when memory supply will meet the increasing demand.
Further analysis from Lenovo, presented at ISC 2026, highlighted recent DRAM price history and projected that even expanded manufacturing capacity may not be enough to offset the demand from AI hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. The company's presenter reportedly suggested that prices might "never" return to previous levels and that higher costs could become the "new normal" even after 2030, though this sentiment may have been an exaggeration.
Financial services group Jeffries has issued forecasts indicating substantial price hikes. The group predicts a 40-50 percent increase in Q3 2026, followed by another 30-40 percent surge in Q4 2026. For 2027, an additional 40-45 percent jump is anticipated. While a potential 15-20 percent price drop is forecast for 2028 due to possible supply growth and lower demand, prices would remain significantly higher than current levels into 2029.
These ongoing price increases could have a notable impact on the gaming hardware market. Concerns have already been raised about the affordability of new consoles, with reports of multiple price hikes for the Xbox Series X/S and potential increases for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of the holiday season. The escalating costs of components like RAM raise questions about the pricing strategies for upcoming next-generation consoles, such as Microsoft's potential Project Helix, and whether consumers will be willing to invest in costly upgrades after a console generation marked by incremental performance gains.