ASUS expects PC price hikes to ease, but memory costs remain a major concern
PC buyers may finally see some relief from the sharp price increases that have affected laptops, desktops, and components over the past several quarters. ASUS says future PC price hikes are expected to slow down, with increases likely to fall into the single-digit range by the third quarter of 2026.
The update comes after months of concern across the PC industry, where rising memory, storage, and component costs have pushed device prices higher. According to ASUS General Manager Yi-Hsiang Liao, the company’s product prices have already risen by around 30% since the fourth quarter of 2025. While additional adjustments are still expected, ASUS believes the steepest jumps may now be behind the market.
Liao said the PC sector is showing signs of a rebound, helped in part by a slight pullback in memory and storage pricing. Components such as DRAM and SSDs have been among the biggest reasons behind higher retail prices, especially for laptops and premium PCs. If those parts become less expensive, manufacturers may have less pressure to pass major cost increases on to consumers.
Another important factor is buyer resistance. ASUS appears to recognize that large price hikes can only go so far before customers delay upgrades or choose cheaper alternatives. With PC demand already under pressure, the company expects future price adjustments to remain limited, likely between 0% and 9% in the coming quarters.
This could be encouraging news for anyone planning to buy a new laptop, gaming PC, workstation, or AI-ready computer in 2026. After several cycles of rising costs, even a slower pace of price increases would be welcomed by consumers and businesses alike.
The broader PC market, however, remains uncertain. Industry demand has reportedly weakened, with some estimates pointing to a 10% to 15% decline in PC shipments. That creates a difficult situation for manufacturers: even if revenue stays stable or grows slightly due to higher prices, fewer units sold can still hurt long-term market momentum.
ASUS has managed to perform strongly despite these challenges. The company reportedly recorded a 25% year-over-year revenue increase, driven largely by high-end and premium PCs. These more expensive models now make up around 60% of ASUS’s total PC share. Demand for premium laptops, gaming machines, and performance-focused systems has remained resilient, even as mainstream buyers become more cautious.
Still, supply conditions are not fully back to normal. During the recent shortage period, many premium PC models were either difficult to find or sold at much higher prices. That was especially true for systems using more advanced memory and storage configurations.
The biggest question is whether ASUS’s outlook reflects a real turning point or only a short-term improvement. Some analysts continue to warn that memory prices could rise sharply, with possible increases of up to 50% per quarter. Others believe meaningful relief may not arrive until 2028, especially if demand for advanced memory remains strong in data centers, AI servers, and high-performance computing.
Spot market pricing also suggests that the situation is still mixed. Consumer DRAM and SSD products have continued to see double-digit increases in some areas, with memory prices reportedly climbing as much as 89% compared with the previous quarter. That makes it difficult to say whether lower PC price hikes will last beyond one or two quarters.
There is also growing attention on how memory manufacturers will balance production between high-bandwidth memory used in AI systems and general-purpose DRAM used in PCs. If suppliers increase output for mainstream memory, it could help stabilize laptop and desktop pricing. If they continue prioritizing more profitable AI-related memory, consumer PC prices may remain elevated.
For now, ASUS is offering a more optimistic view than many recent market forecasts. The company expects PC price increases to continue, but at a much slower pace, with single-digit adjustments becoming more likely by Q3 2026.
For consumers, the takeaway is simple: PC prices may not return to pre-shortage levels anytime soon, but the era of steep double-digit jumps could be easing. Buyers looking for a new ASUS laptop, gaming PC, or productivity machine may still face higher prices, but the most aggressive increases may already be fading.
