Gaming is facing a tough time with rising costs. The demand for powerful GPUs and DDR5 memory has pushed prices up, making it harder for gamers to keep up. Now, recent news hints that the situation might worsen in 2026.
According to a report from the Korean site Newsis, both AMD and NVIDIA are planning to raise their GPU prices steadily in the coming months. The increase could start as early as January 2026, with AMD first and NVIDIA following in February.
If these reports hold true, the NVIDIA RTX 5090 may jump dramatically in price, potentially reaching $5,000 from its initial $1,999. While no specific information has been shared about the AMD RX 9000 series, it’s important to note that memory currently accounts for up to 80% of a GPU’s production costs. Experts predict that memory prices might soar by 40% by Q2 2026.
Recent trends in the DRAM market further complicate things. Will this instability disrupt the launch of upcoming gaming hardware? It seems likely. ASUS has already announced a price hike for its products starting in January 2026. They’re also ramping up DDR4 motherboard production in reaction to market shifts.
It’s a tough time for gamers and the industry alike as they navigate these rising costs.
