"Do you have a phone in your pocket you'd like to upgrade in the next few years? Fancy a game console or handheld? A laptop, perhaps? Will you need a new router, whether you're purchasing outright or renting from your ISP? Each of these devices is expected to have shortages, price hikes, or both in 2026. And even if you don't plan to buy, you depend on goods and services from others who'll be paying more to upgrade their devices."
""RAMageddon" is only getting worse, and there's no immediate end in sight. Everything that has a computer inside depends on RAM, and almost everything has a computer in it now: farm tractors, hospital equipment, your TV set-top box. RAM is the short-term memory of a device, and AI especially needs lots to juggle all the data it's processing. And most of that RAM comes from just three companies that are happily prioritizing the AI gold rush over everything else."
"We may never know how many products were truly delayed or canceled due to RAM - like how Nvidia may skip releasing a gaming GPU for the first time in 30 years, or how Meta may not release a single VR headset this year and plans to charge a premium when they return in 2027, or how Sony's next PlayStation may get pushed to 2029 because of RAM."
AI-driven demand for memory has sharply increased prices and created shortages. Smartphones, consoles, laptops, routers, and many other devices are expected to face shortages or price hikes in 2026. Consumers who plan upgrades will face higher costs, and those who rely on others' purchases will feel indirect effects. RAM functions as short-term memory for devices, and AI workloads require substantially more RAM. Most memory supply is concentrated among three manufacturers prioritizing AI customers, which intensifies constraints. Major product launches and updates may be delayed, canceled, or become more expensive as a result.
Read at The Verge
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