Samsung Warns Memory Shortages and High Prices Likely to Persist Through 2027

If you were hoping for memory prices to stabilize, a recent report from Samsung suggests you might want to hold onto your wallet for a while longer. According to the company’s Q3 2026 earnings report, as detailed by IGN, the ongoing RAM shortage that defined much of 2026 is expected to worsen throughout 2027.

The AI-Driven Shift

Samsung’s latest financial data highlights a massive shift in focus toward the AI sector. The company reported 147.1 trillion Korean Won in revenue from its semiconductor segment, with 106.5 trillion of that in profit—a massive 72% of its total quarterly revenue. This growth is being driven almost entirely by the prioritization of HBM4 memory production for AI datacenters.

Samsung explicitly stated in its earnings call that “surging AI-driven demand” is likely to tighten supply shortages even further next year. The company is leaning so heavily into the AI market that it is focusing on long-term contracts for high-capacity server-grade hardware, rather than consumer-grade DDR5 memory. This aligns with earlier reporting from Digitimes, which suggested that 2027 memory manufacturing capacity has already been fully sold out.

Consolidation of the Market

This move toward enterprise hardware isn’t unique to Samsung. It remains one of only three major global memory manufacturers, and all three are currently prioritizing server-grade products over consumer gaming components. This industry-wide shift has already had consequences, such as Micron shuttering its Crucial consumer memory brand last December. The strain is visible elsewhere in the gaming market as well; Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently noted that console demand is outstripping supply, and the price of used PS5 units has spiked following the PS5 Pro’s sell-out.

Why it matters

For gamers, this ongoing shortage means that the prices for RAM, as well as gaming hardware that relies on high-capacity memory, are likely to remain elevated throughout 2027. Since manufacturers are shifting their factory output toward AI datacenters, standard consumer-grade DDR5 availability may stay restricted, potentially keeping hardware upgrade costs high for PC builders and console buyers alike.

As supply remains tight, gamers should keep an eye on component stock levels before planning any major PC builds or console purchases. With the industry clearly favoring enterprise contracts over the retail market, it is likely that we will continue to see supply bottlenecks for the foreseeable future.