price increases Archives

AppWizard

December 22, 2025

Hardcore PC Gaming Is About to Die

The landscape of PC gaming is becoming increasingly challenging due to rising costs and accessibility concerns. Major gaming companies, including Xbox and Nintendo, are considering price increases for games, with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's monthly fee rising significantly. Hardware prices have surged, exemplified by the Xbox Series X retailing at 9 and the NVIDIA GTX 4070 RTX GPU increasing from 9.99 to 9.99. The demand for GPUs is driven by cryptocurrency mining and the AI sector, leading to component shortages. NVIDIA may reduce GPU production by 40%, further constraining supply. The outlook for RAM prices remains uncertain, and the Steam Machine may offer an alternative but likely at a higher price. The combination of soaring costs and dwindling component availability threatens the accessibility of PC gaming, potentially leading to a decline in new PC gamers and a slowdown in the industry's growth rate, which has been 3-4% annually.

AppWizard

December 15, 2025

Half Life 3 Steam Machine rumors just won’t go away, with high RAM prices now somehow connected

Valve initially intended to unveil Half-Life 3 alongside the Steam Machine, but rising RAM prices led to a change in plans. The Steam Machine, powered by SteamOS, has generated hype, but lacks a confirmed release date or pricing. Insider sources suggest that Half-Life 3 could still be a launch title for the Steam Machine, though delays are attributed to increased PC RAM prices due to AI data centers consuming supply. This price surge has affected the tech industry, leading to speculation about potential delays or price increases for gaming products. Experts suggest Valve may separate the launches of the Steam Machine and Half-Life 3, as the success of the game appears independent of the hardware's debut. There are currently no definitive hints or leaks confirming the development of Half-Life 3.

AppWizard

December 5, 2025

Cloud Gaming Is Looking More Attractive Than Ever for All the Wrong Reasons

The cost of RAM has surged significantly, with prices for 16GB DDR4 sticks now around 0, and DDR5 sticks priced five times that amount. Micron, which held a 25.7% share of the DRAM market, announced it will discontinue its consumer-facing brand, Crucial, to focus on AI data center memory, likely exacerbating component prices. Xbox reported a 45% increase in playtime hours on its Game Pass Cloud Gaming service year-over-year, and Nvidia upgraded its GeForce Now service to support games on the latest RTX 5080 GPU. The rise in DRAM prices may persist until 2028, as major manufacturers prioritize supply for AI data centers over the PC industry.

AppWizard

December 4, 2025

AMD Radeon graphics card prices could soon skyrocket following a similar CPU scare

AMD graphics card prices are expected to rise due to increasing RAM costs. Reports indicate that AMD has communicated a price increase for graphics cards with 8GB and 16GB VRAM configurations. The suggested price increase is approximately 10% for both types. AMD's business model involves selling GPUs and VRAM together, meaning any cost increases are passed on to consumers. Additionally, AMD has informed partners of a second price increase across its entire product line, though the timing is unclear. No new AMD products are expected to launch until 2027, suggesting a prolonged absence from the market.

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

More bad news for PC gamers as AMD CPU prices could soon soar

AMD is rumored to be planning a price increase for its Ryzen CPUs, with changes expected to take effect at midnight on December 1, 2025. This increase is said to be related to AMD's suppliers and may not immediately affect retail prices. The Ryzen 9000 series and some older AMD CPUs are expected to be impacted. Current prices for models like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D remain low, and consumers are advised to take advantage of existing deals before potential price hikes occur.

AppWizard

November 30, 2025

After three-year wait and a delay, medieval RPG’s first DLC arrives in choppy waters as fans claim it’s “overpriced”

Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord's DLC, War Sails, was released on November 26 after a delay from June. It is the first major paid content since the game left early access three years ago. The DLC has received mixed reviews, with over 1,000 reviews in four days, contrasting with the base game's 93,000 'very positive' reviews. Players have criticized the DLC for being perceived as overpriced and lacking substantial content compared to free mods. Some players appreciated the ship customization and enjoyed the Nord troops, while others expressed disappointment with the stealth system. The DLC is currently priced at .49 or £18.89, with a price increase scheduled after December 10.

AppWizard

November 28, 2025

These AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Black Friday deals finally make this mid-range GPU a true bargain

AMD's RX 9000 series graphics cards, particularly the RX 9060 XT, have seen fluctuating retail prices often exceeding the suggested MSRP. However, Black Friday has brought several deals, making the RX 9060 XT more accessible. The Asus Dual Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB model is available for 9, down from its typical price of 9. It features 32 RDNA 4 compute units and has shown strong performance in gaming tests, achieving 51fps in Doom: The Dark Ages at 1440p and 113fps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 1080p. The RX 9060 XT requires a single eight-pin PCIe power connector. The XFX Swift AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT OC Gaming Edition with 8GB of VRAM is priced at 9.99, which is the lowest price for this model during Black Friday, down from its MSRP of 9.

AppWizard

November 18, 2025

AMD graphics card prices rumored to rise, so get this Radeon RX 9070 XT at $599 while you can

Consumers may soon face higher prices for AMD graphics cards due to a surge in DRAM prices affecting the tech industry. AMD GPUs, particularly the RX 9070 XT, have often sold for more than their MSRP, with the ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT being one of the few options available at its MSRP of 9. Reports indicate that AMD is expected to implement another price increase, impacting the next shipment of GPUs and VRAM supplied to board partners. The burden of the price hike is likely to fall on gamers.

AppWizard

October 16, 2025

Gaming RAM and SSD prices are about to soar, and it’s all the fault of AI, says Adata chairman

Simon Chen, chairman of Adata, has reported that the prices of RAM and SSDs are rising due to increased demand from the artificial intelligence sector, leading to severe shortages in the market. This competition for memory and storage components is affecting supply typically reserved for consumer use, resulting in higher costs for gamers upgrading or purchasing new PCs. DDR4 RAM is projected to see price increases of up to 30% between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026. Earlier this year, TrendForce indicated that RAM prices were already on the rise, with DDR4 being the most impacted segment. Adata is advising its staff to sell sparingly to maintain inventory levels amid these challenges.

AppWizard

October 13, 2025

Should You Cancel Xbox Game Pass? Everything to Know on the Price Hikes and New Features

Microsoft overhauled the Xbox Game Pass structure on October 1, transitioning from four tiers to a new framework with the Core tier rebranded as Essential and Standard as Premium, while Ultimate retained its name. The Essential tier's monthly fee remains at .99, but Premium increased by 25% to .99, the PC-only plan rose by 38% to .49, and Ultimate saw a 50% increase to .99. Despite these price hikes, Microsoft introduced enhancements such as cloud gaming across all tiers, an expanded library for Essential (from 25 to over 50 games) and Premium (from around 50 to over 200 games), and Ultimate subscribers gaining access to over 400 games and day-one releases. The changes have led to a surge in cancellations among users, causing the membership site to crash.