The October Steam Hardware Survey reveals that PC gamers are increasingly opting for older or less powerful hardware, a trend attributed to continually rising component prices throughout 2026. Systems equipped with 16GB of RAM have overtaken 32GB configurations as the most common setup among Steam users, now representing 41.42% of the user base, a 3.6% increase. Concurrently, 32GB systems have seen a 5.16% decline, now comprising 37.06% of users.
The trend extends to graphics cards, with the NVIDIA RTX 3060 reclaiming its position as the most prevalent GPU, accounting for 3.62% of all Steam users. This resurgence is likely influenced by the availability of used RTX 3060 cards priced between $250 and $300. In terms of CPUs, 4-core processors have seen a 1.57% increase, now making up 12.36% of PCs, while 8-core CPUs have experienced a decline.
These shifts align with broader market conditions. High-end GPUs have become scarce and significantly more expensive, with some disappearing entirely from retailer listings. Samsung's recent earnings report suggests that the ongoing RAM crisis, exacerbated by demand from AI data centers, is expected to worsen in 2027. The situation has even drawn commentary from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who suggested that having RAM in personal computers is "quite terrible."
The pressure on hardware pricing is not limited to new PC builds. The PS5 Pro's rapid sell-out led to third-party resellers marking up used consoles to as high as $1,399. Microsoft has also reportedly encouraged the sale of unused Xbox consoles. Rumors also suggest that the next-generation Xbox could launch at a price point of $1,800.
In this environment, PC builders are demonstrating a willingness to select lower-specced configurations, a behavior directly reflected in the latest Steam Hardware Survey data.