Acer’s CEO has commented on rising RAM and hardware prices.
For nearly a year, prices in the PC market have been rising as a result of the global memory shortage. Hardly anyone can say with certainty whether and when prices will “return to normal.”
Jason Chen, Acer’s CEO, has now at least offered a forecast that might give many gamers a glimmer of hope.
The peak of the crisis is expected to be reached in 2027
Above all, the AI hype of recent years has led to a global shortage of high-performance RAM.
However, since this RAM is needed in numerous industries—from smartphones to handheld gaming devices—and not least in the consumer market itself, hardware prices have been rising almost across the board for months.
The situation will only improve if either production increases sufficiently or demand declines noticeably. A combination of both phenomena is also possible.
However, it remains to be seen when and if that will happen. In an interview with the Chinese business magazine Money UDN, Jason Chen, Chairman and CEO of Acer, has now at least ventured a forecast.
According to Chen, prices are expected to rise by 5 to 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2026, depending on the industry. The trend is then expected to continue into the new year. When asked when the trend might reverse, however, he replied:
“It might happen by the middle of next year.”
He went on to explain that even if component prices were to fall sooner, it would still likely take several months for that improvement to reach the market.
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So here’s hoping that the situation behind the scenes improves as early as the beginning of 2027.
Only then will manufacturers be able to produce more cost-effectively and ultimately adjust prices on the market again.
Lower component prices could also lead to increased production. And full inventories usually mean “more normal” and more stable prices.
