The memory chip shortage that has been plaguing the industry since last year is finally set to hit PC gamers where it hurts: the wallet. According to foreign media reports citing industry insiders, NVIDIA is reportedly shelving plans for any new GPU releases this year and pushing back the launch of its RTX 60 series entirely.

This update comes from The Information, which reported on the 5th (local time) based on two well-placed sources. It seems NVIDIA is pulling the plug on new consumer-grade GPUs for the year and delaying the successor to the 50 series, the RTX 60. The culprit? A severe memory crunch, as DRAM modules are being funneled almost exclusively into AI servers, leaving precious little for the average gamer.

Market sentiment had been leaning towards an RTX 50 Super release this year, but those hopes are now effectively dashed. Launching new cards requires a massive stockpile of VRAM, and frankly, that's just not in the cards right now. As for the RTX 60, originally slated for mass production in late 2027, it has now been pushed to 2028 or beyond. To make matters worse, one of the sources confirmed that production of the current RTX 50 series is also being throttled.

Looking at the balance sheet, you’ll see why. In their latest earnings report, NVIDIA pulled in $57 billion, with a staggering $51.2 billion—90% of their total—coming from AI data centers. While gaming revenue grew by 30% over the same period, it’s becoming a drop in the ocean compared to their AI dominance. For NVIDIA, starving the consumer market to feed the AI beast is just good business. CEO Jensen Huang doubled down on this during an interview with CNBC on the 6th, insisting that investment in AI infrastructure is no bubble, but a sustainable, profit-generating engine.

It’s not just NVIDIA feeling the squeeze. Reuters reported on the 6th (local time) that both Intel and AMD are struggling to supply CPUs to Chinese clients, with Intel warning of potential delays of up to six months. Both companies claimed during their January earnings calls that they were working to resolve supply issues, but the reality is that the 'big three' of gaming hardware—NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD—are all singing the same blues regarding memory chip shortages.

The ripples don't stop there. Valve announced on the 5th that it is reviewing shipping schedules and pricing for its Steam Machines due to the rising costs and scarcity of memory and hard drives. Meanwhile, Sony confirmed in their earnings report on the 5th that they have secured enough memory to cover PS5 production through the end-of-year peak season. Nintendo, speaking on the 6th, noted that while the impact remains minimal through early 2026 (January–March), they are wary that prolonged price hikes could weigh heavily on their margins.

The growth of generative AI and the subsequent surge in investment are driving both shortages and price spikes for key components like memory chips. For those looking to upgrade their gaming rig, this is a difficult situation. If this price trend continues, many gamers may be priced out of the market, forcing developers to contend with a stagnating baseline of consumer PC hardware.