Gaming handhelds get pricier as AI-fueled chip shortage worsens

Handheld gaming PCs still solve a real problem, they turn short breaks into play time, but the price window has tightened fast. An AI-driven memory crunch is pushing up RAM and storage costs at the same time that tariffs and broader inflation are weighing on consumer electronics, so the smartest purchase now depends less on raw specs than on how badly you need one.

IDC said the global memory shortage could last well into 2027 because AI data centers are pulling manufacturing capacity toward high-bandwidth memory and high-capacity DDR5, leaving less DRAM and NAND for consumer devices. Micron ended its Crucial consumer brand in December 2025, Kingston warned that prices would keep rising, and memory vendors told buyers at CES 2026 that DRAM and SSD shortages could stretch from months to years. That is the supply backdrop behind the sticker shock now hitting handhelds.

For anyone chasing the cheapest new device, the answer is to wait. CNBC reported on January 10 that RAM prices were expected to jump more than 50% in the first quarter of 2026 from the last quarter of 2025, while TrendForce projected average DRAM prices would rise 50% to 55% in that same period. Those increases hit the very components that handheld PCs rely on, which means entry-level machines are the most exposed to price hikes and the most likely to lose their value proposition.

Buying used makes more sense if the goal is to get in without paying today’s premium. The current squeeze is already rippling through the wider PC market: IDC projected global PC shipments would fall 11.3% in 2026, with fourth-quarter shipments down 20% year over year. That kind of slowdown usually makes buyers cautious and encourages trade-ins, which can create better deals in the resale market than in new retail shelves.

Spend more only if the handheld is going to replace a larger machine or carry your gaming load for years. The shortage is not confined to gaming hardware, either. Yale Budget Lab said tariffs had lifted inflation-adjusted customs revenue by an estimated $214.7 billion above the 2022 to 2024 average as of February 2026, while the effective tariff rate reached 10.6% in January and imported core goods and durable goods prices rose 1.5% during 2025 through January. With AI buyers such as Nvidia, AMD and Google still competing for memory from Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, handheld PCs are being priced into a broader consumer squeeze that is unlikely to ease quickly.