Micron ceasing RAM for consumers has gamers worried: 'PC gaming and consoles are doomed'

Micron Technology, a huge computer memory and storage making company, has confirmed it's shutting down its consumer business Crucial to focus on creating advanced memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.

This includes the production of SSD (a storage system used in electronics) and more crucially RAM, which is random access memory that basically acts as a short-term memory in electronic devices such as PCs and gaming consoles.

The price of gaming consoles, such as Xbox Series X/S, have been on the rise recently with RAM shortages one of the big contributing factors to this. The price of RAM has reportedly quadrupled across the board because of this shortage, with prices of SSD doubling too.

With Crucial one of only three major RAM manufacturers in this space now pulling out to focus on developing technology for tech giants' AI centres, the mood among gamers is that "PC gaming and consoles are doomed thanks to AI".

On social media, @Pirat_Nation said: "The RAM pricing crisis has only just begun, Team Group GM warns. The problem will worsen in 2026 as DRAM and NAND prices double in one month. PC gaming and consoles are doomed thanks to AI."

@rivaLxfactor said: "You know what. F*** AI. It is GREATLY raising your cost of electricity, it is tripling RAM prices which will now only go higher, it is blowing through fresh water supply for cooling. The 'temporary' power plants some of these data centres have built create insane amounts of pollution and destroy the local air quality. It is being forced into everywhere costing people jobs even when it doesn't work, is straight up trash or makes any sense. We the people always getting f****d just so the rich can get richer."

@LegacyKillaHD posted: "I hope everyone is prepared for the push of cloud gaming next-gen because it's coming. That'll be the 'budget' option introduced. It's either that or you're gonna be making car payments for a high-end gaming PC. Even next-gen PS6 and Xbox consoles are going to be north of $1000..."

The news was posted in the Games Subreddit and there have been hundreds of comments.

One said: "And with other companies saying that they won't increase RAM production for fear of being bubbled, we'll be in the age of $900 for 64GB RAM until at least 2028. Which probably means that there will be no next-gen gaming consoles (even Steam Machine's going to be in trouble) if prices are this ridiculous, which means gaming will stagnate in the pushing of boundaries in games."

A second questioned: "Is this industry just going to die because hardware decided to go all out on AI and abandon consumer hardware or is this a really nasty hill until some sort of logistics is solved? Asking genuinely because these economy and hardware prices seems like it's going to make the next generation hell to get into at this rate."

A third commented: "I had a RAM stick die at the beginning of the year and ended up swapping for a new 64GB kit. I am now very thankful that happened 10 months ago and not recently. I'm gonna be running my current PC (built in 2020) until the 2030s at this rate."

"Looking very grim for the home PC builder community / market," said a fourth. "Been nothing but more and more seemingly bad news that just keeps coming. The day this AI bubble finally pops will be a wonderful one."

There is a shortage of RAM at the moment as big tech companies have been heavily investing in it as part of the AI revolution. That's because AI models require the very best RAM speeds and capacity to function as it should.

And now with Crucial soon ceasing operations, the gap between RAM production meeting current consumer demand will widen even further. For context, Crucial makes a quarter of the world's DRAM (dynamic random access memory, a type of RAM) and is only one of three major RAM manufacturers, with the others being Samsung and SK Hynix.

If components such as RAM become more expensive, that means prices of gaming hardware are very likely to rise too, simply because making these devices will cost companies more. Usually when manufacturing costs rise, part of that cost is passed on to consumers.

In short, big tech companies investing in developing their AI models is why gaming devices could cost more very soon.

In a statement, Sumit Sadana, EVP and chief business officer at Micron, said: "The AI-driven growth in the data centre has led to a surge in demand for memory and storage. Micron has made the difficult decision to exit the Crucial consumer business in order to improve supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments."

Basically, instead of selling memory and storage to consumers, Micron is selling its technology to companies who are ramping up their AI production because it can get more money for it. Crucial's products will continue to ship through to February 2026.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• Your devices could cost more as tech giant pivots - social media shouts 'f*** AI'
• How does Assassin's Creed Shadows really run on Nintendo Switch 2?

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