Another effect of the AI ​​boom: five key devices, held back by the global memory crisis

This imbalance caused several developments planned for the coming months to be postponed or ended up canceled, reflecting an unusual stagnation in the pace of launches. Next, which were the five hardest hit projects due to the component crisis.

DRAM and NAND Flash are essential pieces of the retail consumer experience, but producing them at scale was no longer cost-viable. On many devices, its value already represents almost half the manufacturing priceeven above the processor or screen.

Far from being a transitory variation, the change is explained structurally. The deployment of systems linked to AI concentrates industrial resources and shifts processing to data centersrelegating the home market. Memory was no longer unlimited and became critical, with effects that extend from smartphones and consoles to computers and televisions.

In the last quarter of 2025, the cost of memory skyrocketed by 50%according to Counterpoint Research and broke all references. In 2026, the trend did not stop: in the first months it added a jump of 50% and projected a further increase in 20% towards the middle of the year, consolidating a sustained escalation that put the commercial viability of multiple technological devices in check.

The most affected are those devices with prices below $100. IDC analysts described this segment as “permanently unviable” given the strong increase. By 2026, about 171 million devices ultra-low-cost devices were canceled or withdrawn from the market, as memory came to represent more than 50% of the total value of each one.

The impact is not limited to accessible segments: it also hits the high end. The list included the iPhone Flip and the Apple Vision Pro 2, the PS6, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Meta Quest Pro and Valve Steam Machine. Between delays, redesigns and adjustments, a change in cycle is evident: novelty was no longer defined only by technical ambition and began to depend on the real availability of inputs.

The phone represents Apple’s attempt to enter the competitive world of foldables, dominated by Asian brands, with growth projections of 20%. This bet faces some questions. Ming-Chi Kuo leaks indicated that the project was slowed down due to the cost of components while seeking to avoid a final price that exceed even premium standards.

The problem is not reduced to the price, since there are doubts in Apple’s new directive about its viability. According to The Information, John Ternus, designated as Tim Cook’s successor, was not convinced with the results obtained. This position showed a less visible limit: the folding stopped being a design challenge and began to depend on resources that no longer kept up with the pace of innovation.

The Apple Vision Pro 2 reflects a similar problem. Bloomberg reports indicate that Apple stopped ambitious redesigns and prioritized more accessible versions in the face of limited adoption. In parallel, the new directive evaluates the continuity of the project without clear definitions, in a context where the equation between intensive hardware and high price no longer closes in economic terms.

It faces an uncertain outlook in 2026 due to the sharp increase in the cost of gears that provide speed. Although its launch is for 2027, reports from Bloomberg and IDC indicate that Sony is considering delaying its release until 2028. The cost of RAM and NAND storage exceeds 45% of the manufacturing value, complicating planning and making the expected price unfeasible.

To cushion the shock, the company plans adjustments to the architecture and performance targets to contain costs without breaking balance with the current generation. This rethinking not only impacts the timing, but also the final proposal, reflecting the difficulty of maintaining a balance between originality and renewal in a context of variable costs.

Both the Pro and Pro Max versions were ahead of their time in a context that no longer rewards innovation as before. Both models will be launched in China, but will not go on the international market, unlike other versions of the series. The decision breaks with the usual logic of global expansion and exposes a selective cut in the most ambitious portfolio.

Behind this movement a concrete fact emerges: the cost of memory greatly exceeds forecasts and alters the final equation. Company executives pointed out that, in high configurations, the extra cost exceeds the 200 dollars per unitin a context where chips registered increases of up to 80–90% in 2026.

To this was added an additional condition: in Europe and Latin America, tolerance for increases was much more limited, which reduced the margin to pass on costs. Under this scenario, maintaining premium variants outside China was no longer viable without compromising competitiveness.

This headset was conceived as an evolution towards high-end mixed reality, with higher resolution, better tracking and focus on productivity. The ambition was to compete in the premium segment with more powerful and versatile hardware. However, the project was surrounded by uncertainty, with no official announcement and with contradictory versions about its future.

Reports from Bloomberg and The Verge indicated that the increase in memory prices directly punished the entire Quest line, forcing Meta to highlight up to 100 dollars on the label of some models such as the Quest 3. This increase in price not only affected sales, but also made it clear that any advanced point, such as a Pro 2, would face an even higher barrier to entry.

The development of the successor was left in a gray area. The original Quest Pro had already been discontinued after weak sales and criticism of its price-performance ratio, raising internal caution. With rising costs and a less receptive market, the project lost momentum and was conditioned by an equation where each technical improvement implied a price jump that was difficult to justify.

It returns to the concept of a consolidated PC with a focus on flexible performance, suitable for the Steam platform and open architecture. Unlike traditional consoles, it relies on scalable configurations, a Linux-based system and direct access to the PC ecosystem, with the aim of achieving a hybrid between console and computer that combines power and versatility in an accessible format.

According to Ars Technica and The Verge, the cost of memory in gaming configurations represented between 45% of the total value in 2026. In parallel, PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo reduced shipments and adjusted their catalogs due to the difficulty of maintaining prices without affecting demand. Many models were taken offline or released with trimmed configurations.

In that context, maintaining an attractive Steam Machine without skyrocketing the final price was no longer possible. The proposal, which depended on offering power at a competitive value, was trapped in an equation where each technical improvement implied a price jump that was difficult to justify compared to traditional consoles and PCs already established in the market.