A US analyst has reported that gaming hardware prices have risen by 16% in 2026 alone, with the surge largely attributed to the ongoing boom in AI-related demand. Samsung has separately warned that the underlying pressures driving these price rises are expected to intensify further into 2027, suggesting no relief for gamers or hardware buyers in the near term.

The price increases reflect how demand for components used in AI infrastructure, such as memory chips and other semiconductors, is squeezing supply available for consumer gaming hardware, pushing costs upward. With Samsung, a major chip manufacturer, forecasting worsening conditions next year, the implication is that graphics cards, consoles and related gaming equipment could become increasingly expensive as the so-called AI boom continues to strain global hardware supply chains.