PC gamers and builders in the UK should brace for higher prices and potential shortages throughout 2026, as a severe RAM crunch threatens to shrink the entire market. A leading tech analyst has forecast a significant downturn in PC shipments this year, driven by memory manufacturers prioritising the booming artificial intelligence sector.
The Memory Squeeze: AI Demand Hits Consumer PC Market
The root of the problem lies with the world's dominant memory chip producers: Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix. These companies are increasingly diverting their production capacity and resources towards supplying AI firms, which are consuming vast quantities of memory for expansive data centres. This shift has created a shortage for the wider consumer electronics market, transforming RAM into an expensive commodity.
According to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC), this supply constraint is expected to persist into 2027. The repercussions for the home PC market are now becoming clear for the coming year.
Analyst Predicts Market Contraction and Slower Innovation
In a recent interview on PCWorld's The Full Nerd podcast, respected industry analyst Dr Ian Cutress of the TechTechPotato YouTube channel outlined the expected impact. Citing his sources, Cutress stated the global PC market is poised for a 'mid to high single digit decrease' in unit shipments during 2026.
'For reference, the PC market is around, depending on who you ask, 270 million units a year,' Cutress explained. 'That’s notebooks, PCs, commercial, the whole ecosystem… but who I’m speaking to, we’re expecting to see that mid to high single digit decrease in that number this year because of the shortages, because of the price increases.'
He went so far as to suggest that PC enthusiasts might want to 'go back to your Steam catalogue and play some old games', indicating that the pace of hardware advancement could slow as the industry grapples with these constraints.
IDC Warns of Volatility and Changing Market Dynamics
The forecast represents a stark reversal from 2025, where the IDC reported the global PC market grew by 8.1%, with total shipments reaching 284.7 million units across desktops, notebooks, and workstations.
Jean Philippe Bouchard, research vice-president at IDC, warned that the PC landscape 'will be far different in 12 months given how quickly the memory situation is evolving'. He suggested that beyond confirmed price increases, manufacturers might lower the average memory specifications in new systems to conserve their inventory. 'The year ahead is shaping up to be extremely volatile,' Bouchard concluded.
Jitesh Ubrani, IDC research manager, added that the shortages are reshaping the entire industry. 'Large consumer electronics brands are well positioned to leverage their scale and memory allocations to capture shares from smaller and regional vendors,' Ubrani said. However, he raised a serious risk: 'the severity of the shortage raises the risk that smaller brands may not survive'. Consumers, particularly DIY PC builders, may respond by delaying purchases or spending their money elsewhere.
Paradoxically, the IDC projects that while unit shipments 'may soften' in 2026, the overall market value will increase. This is because component suppliers, PC makers, and retailers will adjust their pricing upwards to protect their profit margins in the face of higher costs.
Direct Impact on Gamers and the Wider Industry
For gamers, the practical effect is straightforward: building or buying a new PC, especially one with a high-end graphics card, is likely to become more difficult and expensive over the next year. The impact was already felt during recent Black Friday sales and in markets like Japan, where some premium cards have become scarce or been discontinued.
The ripple effects may extend beyond PCs. There have been industry reports suggesting that these persistent component shortages could potentially delay the launch of next-generation consoles, such as the PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox, beyond 2027. Neither Sony nor Microsoft has publicly commented on this possibility.
