Brace yourselves, as the effects of the RAM shortage in the worldwide PC and tablet market are expected to worsen.
Market analytics firm IDC has further cut its forecast for the PC market in 2026. The firm expects the global shipments to fall 11.6 percent, up from the previous projections of just 8.9 percent.
IDC adjusted its forecasts due to the recent conflicts in the Middle East. What’s worse, the memory shortage will likely persist into 2027, as per IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani.
“While we anticipate some easing of prices beginning in 2028, the market is unlikely to return to the pricing levels seen in 2025,” he added.
With that, IDC expects PC vendors to improve their supply chain resilience, component sourcing strategies, and attempt to offer products with lower specs to control prices. All these will ultimately change end-user adoption in the years to come.
So if you’re in the market for a PC upgrade, you might want to be smart with your purchase decision.