Component Shortage
Ongoing coverage on Component Shortage.
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There's a new Omen in town, but this gaming laptop's spec sheet is making me wince
The 2026 refresh of the HP Omen Max 16 gaming laptop is criticized for its reduced value proposition, featuring 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD at a $2,679.99 price point. Despite upgrades like a 300W power level and redesigned cooling, it falls behind its predecessor and competitors in terms of storage and RAM, highlighting industry-wide issues like component shortages and rising prices.
New Intel-based handheld gaming PCs sound great but all signs point towards yet more prohibitively expensive price tags
Intel's new Panther Lake chips for handheld gaming PCs, the Arc G3 and G3 Extreme, are expected to be prohibitively expensive, following a trend of rising prices in the market. This is exacerbated by Valve's recent price increase for the Steam Deck OLED and high costs for other handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, with upcoming MSI Claw models potentially exceeding $1,800 USD.
Despite the significant price increase, the Steam Deck is already sold out in certain regions
Despite a significant price increase, the Steam Deck OLED has sold out in regions like the USA and Canada, indicating continued strong demand. While other handhelds like the Legion Go S and ASUS ROG Ally X offer more powerful hardware at comparable prices, the Steam Deck remains a top seller, though Valve notes intermittent stock issues due to component shortages.
Steam Deck sees massive £200 price rise but Steam Machine will cost even more
Valve has significantly increased the price of the Steam Deck by approximately £200, with the 512GB model now costing £669 and the 1TB model £779, citing component costs and global logistical challenges. This price hike makes the Steam Deck more expensive than the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which is expected to see a £34 increase. The article also speculates that Valve's unreleased Steam Machine could cost around £1,000 due to similar industry pressures.
Valve announces significant Steam Deck price rise of almost £200 in the UK, over 40% around the world
Valve has announced significant price increases for its Steam Deck OLED models globally, citing rising memory and storage costs due to component shortages and logistical challenges. For example, the 512GB model in the UK has risen from £479 to £649. This follows similar price hikes for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, with companies pointing to economic pressures and component costs.
Steam Deck OLED is back in stock, but it’s now much, much more expensive
The Steam Deck OLED is back in stock but has seen significant price increases of up to 40% in various regions due to rising component costs and global logistical challenges. Valve cited the AI boom's impact on component availability and higher market rates for new production contracts as reasons for the price hike.
Guess what else the PC industry is short of now? Yes, that's right: multilayer ceramic capacitors
The PC industry is facing a significant shortage of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a vital component used in CPUs, graphics cards, and motherboards. This scarcity, exacerbated by high demand from the AI sector, is leading to extended shipping times and price increases, with suppliers like Holy Stone reporting over 20-week lead times. While AI servers require specific types of MLCCs in large quantities, the overall demand is impacting the availability and cost of standard PC components.
"We’ve held off these increases as long as we responsibly can" - Maingear warns of price increases coming after its Memorial Day sale ends, so here's what's on offer
Maingear has announced upcoming price increases for its pre-configured gaming PCs and laptops, citing industry-wide flash memory shortages affecting GPUs, RAM, and SSDs. The company warns that prices will rise by over $150 after its Memorial Day sale concludes, encouraging customers to purchase before the end of the sale to secure current pricing and discounts.
Here's how the Iran war is hitting key supplies for components, according to supply chain experts
The conflict in Iran is significantly impacting global supply chains, particularly for materials essential to semiconductor and component manufacturing. Key substances like helium, sulphuric acid, PPE resin, aluminium, and solvents for photoresists are facing shortages due to disrupted trade routes and damaged production facilities. Experts warn of sustained price increases and potential multi-year disruptions, with AI infrastructure likely prioritized over consumer electronics.
Gigabyte, Asus, MSI, and more reportedly adjust their sales targets as the RAM crisis strangles motherboard sales
Major motherboard manufacturers including Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock are reportedly lowering their sales targets for the remainder of 2026 due to ongoing RAM and storage shortages. These shortages, exacerbated by AI infrastructure demand and global supply chain issues, have led to significant price increases for PC components, impacting consumer purchasing decisions and the overall gaming PC market.
PlayStation 5 hardware sales down amid price hikes and memory shortage
Sony's PlayStation 5 hardware sales saw a significant year-on-year decline in Q4 FY25, selling 1.5 million units compared to 2.8 million in the previous year. This downturn is attributed to recent price increases across multiple regions and an ongoing component shortage impacting memory procurement. Despite lower hardware sales, Sony reported that the PlayStation platform maintained a large installed base and stable profits from software and network services.
Sony has not decided on a price or when to launch the PS6
Sony has not yet decided on the launch timing or price for the PlayStation 6, citing the current high cost and expected shortage of components like RAM. President and CEO Hiroki Totoki indicated that the company is exploring various simulations and business models to determine the best strategy. He also confirmed no further price increases for the PlayStation 5 for the remainder of 2026.
Sony PS5 sales fall off a cliff amid memory shortages
Sony's PlayStation 5 console sales have significantly decreased, reportedly due to memory shortages. This decline may impact the company's gaming division financial results in the upcoming year, potentially exacerbated by higher console prices.
Nintendo hounded by investors to increase Switch 2 price to protect margins
Nintendo is facing pressure from investors to increase the price of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 due to rising component costs and supply chain disruptions. Investors are concerned that the projected $450 price point may be unprofitable, especially when compared to Sony's ability to adjust PlayStation 5 pricing. The company is expected to address these concerns during its upcoming earnings briefing.
'This doesn't have RAM in it, and it's not as complicated to start getting out the door for us' — Valve confirms it's releasing the Steam Controller before the Steam Machine in response to RAM crisis, but originally saw 'no need' to ship them together
Valve has announced that the Steam Controller will launch on May 4, 2026, for $99, preceding the Steam Machine due to ongoing RAM and storage shortages. Hardware engineer Steve Cardinali explained that the controller's lack of RAM makes it easier to release sooner, and Valve never intended to launch all hardware simultaneously. The company aims to ship all three products within the first half of the year.
"Memory costs will impact pricing, and will impact availability" of Xbox's Project Helix console, Asha…
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated that RAM shortages will impact the pricing and availability of Microsoft's upcoming console, codenamed Project Helix. This comes as the industry anticipates higher costs for next-generation hardware, with some analysts predicting a 50% increase over the previous generation and memory crisis potentially lasting until 2028.
"We're just as impacted as everyone else": Valve explain Steam Machine delays and why the Steam Controller is coming out sooner
Valve engineers Steve Cardinali and Lawrence Yang discussed delays for the Steam Machine, attributing them to industry-wide component shortages and rising costs. The Steam Controller, less affected by these issues, is set for release on May 4th as it is ready, dispelling rumors of intentional delays.
Xbox boss: Memory crisis could impact next-gen hardware availability and pricing
Xbox boss Asha Sharma has indicated that ongoing memory chip shortages, driven by AI data center demand, could impact the pricing and availability of next-generation hardware, codenamed Project Helix. While development kits are set to ship in 2027, a consumer launch timeline remains unconfirmed due to the dynamic market conditions. Sharma emphasized a focus on building a great console and offering flexible pricing, despite potential cost increases.
RAM spot prices are down by 5%, though they did spike by well over 2000% this past year
Spot prices for RAM have recently decreased by approximately 5%, following a significant spike of over 2000% in the past year, largely driven by the AI industry's demand. Despite this minor drop, consumer prices are unlikely to fall substantially soon, with projections suggesting affordable RAM might not be available until 2028. Some industry leaders express concern about potential bankruptcies and the future of personal computing due to the ongoing memory crisis.
CPU Prices Will Reportedly Rise Again For The Third Time This Year
Intel is reportedly planning a third CPU price increase this year, with prices expected to rise by 30 percent due to high demand from AI data centers and supply constraints. Separately, Valve has warned that Steam Deck OLED models may face intermittent stock shortages due to ongoing memory and storage component shortages impacting the PC and console markets.
