2026 has been a difficult year for buying PC gaming hardware, as an AI-driven RAM shortage has pushed prices sharply upwards across the industry. While gamers who already own decent PCs, handhelds or consoles are enjoying a strong year of releases running well even on modest hardware, those looking to buy or upgrade face steep costs, with little sign of relief in the near future.

Even entry-level systems like the Steam Machine now cost over $1,049 without a controller, and Valve engineers have told Bloomberg that the crisis is worse than it appears, with retail prices lagging bulk supply costs by three to six months. Microsoft's Xbox CEO has warned console manufacturing costs could rise fivefold by the end of 2027, and the Xbox Series X 1TB model has already jumped to $800. A California class-action lawsuit accuses RAM makers Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix of price-fixing, but any impact on supply is expected to be years away, leading the author to recommend gamers stick with their current hardware rather than wait for prices to normalise.