Tech Troubles: AI Surge Fuels Memory Shortages and Gaming Device Scarcity

  • 18-02-2026 |
  • Jack Janiels

This update casts a spotlight on the challenges that recent shortages are imposing on the tech market, affecting both hardware supply and consumer pricing. The growing focus on advanced artificial intelligence applications has spurred an unprecedented demand for memory, leading to price hikes and impacting gaming hardware availability.

Recent reports indicate that all units of a popular handheld gaming device are unavailable in a major market. The unavailability coincides with a steep rise in the cost of commonly used memory modules, a trend that industry insiders have long warned about. Consumers have now encountered the reality of supply constraints that extend beyond the gaming sector due to the overwhelming needs of the AI market.

An influential industry observer highlighted on a widely used social platform that the preferred gaming device has completely sold out in one key region. Meanwhile, users in another territory continue to have access to both variants of the device. However, the situation may shift soon as the manufacturer predicts that the version featuring an improved display will experience periodic shortages in additional areas.

  • The gaming device is currently unavailable in one major region.
  • Consumers in some markets can still purchase models with standard or enhanced displays.
  • The manufacturer anticipates intermittent shortages for the version with the improved display across more regions.

If you've been eagerly awaiting the chance to obtain one of these handheld devices, you may still have a chance in select regions. For residents in the affected market, however, a longer wait is expected until the device becomes available again.