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| Asus ROG gaming laptops are shown |
If you’ve been following tech news recently, you’ve likely seen the headlines: memory prices are soaring, and a major shortage is underway. But if you’ve shopped for a laptop, phone, or game console lately, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Prices for many devices seem stable, and shelves aren’t empty.
According to a key industry insider, that’s about to change—and consumers may be in for a surprise.
The Calm Before the Storm: Why Prices Haven’t Skyrocketed Yet
In an exclusive conversation with Tom’s Guide, Sascha Krohn, Asus Director of Technical Marketing, provided crucial insight into the memory market’s lagging effect on retail. He explained that buyers will be surprised by “how long it takes for that shockwave to travel through the supply chain until it actually affects the price of devices that you see in Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon.”
This delay, Krohn notes, is a matter of months. For proactive shoppers, this means a narrow window still exists to snag a notebook, smartphone, or console before the full brunt of the memory crisis hits store tags.
The primary buffer? Preparedness. Major hardware OEMs like Asus often secure long-term supply contracts for critical components like DRAM and NAND flash well in advance. This forward-planning shields initial production runs and allows companies to absorb short-term market fluctuations without immediately passing costs to consumers.
However, these reserves are finite. As existing stockpiles dwindle and manufacturers are forced to purchase memory at today’s elevated prices, the added expense will inevitably trickle down. Krohn expects this influence on laptop and device costs to be gradual, but persistent.
A Long Road to Normalcy: Could 2027 Bring Relief?
When will the situation improve? Krohn offers a slightly more optimistic timeline than some memory makers, suggesting the shortage could begin to ease by 2027. He bases this on the belief that memory factories haven’t been running at full capacity, and that ramping up production will benefit the broader market, not just AI data centers currently hogging supply.
But there’s a catch. Krohn warns that even when DDR5 RAM becomes more affordable, not all manufacturers will be quick to lower their prices.
The concern is that once elevated laptop prices become the new normal, some OEMs may hesitate to revert to pre-shortage levels. This could mean strained budgets for gamers and professionals well beyond the point when supply chain pressures technically alleviate.
Not All Companies Are Created Equal: Who Gets Hit First?
The memory crunch isn’t affecting all manufacturers equally. Larger corporations with greater purchasing power and deeper reserves, like Asus, can weather the storm longer. Smaller players or those with different business models are already feeling the pinch.
Framework, the modular laptop company, has already raised its prices due to the increased cost of memory, citing an inability to absorb the losses. This trend is likely to continue across niche and smaller-scale OEMs first.
The console market presents another fascinating split. Industry speculation, as noted in discussions on tech forums and social media, suggests Microsoft and Nintendo may lack the kind of long-term, fixed-price agreements with giants like Micron, Samsung, or SK Hynix that Sony reportedly possesses
Micron, one of the world's largest RAM manufacturers, has confirmed that the memory shortage will persist until 2028, making any plans to launch a PlayStation 6 or Xbox in 2027 virtually impossible.
— DigitaleAnimeEN (@DigitaleAnimeEN) January 13, 2026
The problem isn't limited to the gaming sector; pic.twitter.com/SXUq5m1eL0
Rumors of a massive DRAM stockpile at Sony could insulate the PlayStation 5 from significant price hikes, while the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch successor might be more vulnerable to market volatility. This could lead to a rare scenario where console prices diverge based on corporate procurement strategy rather than just hardware specs.
The Bottom Line for Shoppers
The message from the industry is clear: the worst is yet to come. The current stability in device pricing is a mirage created by supply chain latency and strategic stockpiles.
For consumers, the advice is straightforward:
- If you’re planning a major tech purchase in the next 6-12 months, consider buying sooner rather than later.
- Be prepared for gradual price increases across laptops, premium smartphones, and possibly next-gen consoles.
- Look for sales and promotions as retailers may still clear existing inventory at older price points.
While relief is on the horizon, it’s a distant one, and the landscape of device pricing may be permanently altered by the time we get there. The memory shortage shockwave is coming; it just hasn’t reached the store shelf—yet.