Memory is already very expensive, but SSD prices are rising as well. A manager of one of the largest storage manufacturers, Kioxia, stated in a conversation that the era of cheap SSDs is over. And a sample already shows: The SSDs are as expensive as they have been for months.
What does the current situation look like? Those looking to buy new hardware for their gaming system or computer will be confronted with high prices: Memory is more expensive than ever and other components like graphics cards or SSDs are also becoming more expensive.
A CEO of Kioxia, one of the largest flash manufacturers in the world, recently stated that the era of cheap SSDs is over. For gamers, this also means they should expect rising prices in the SSD sector.
SSDs are already getting more expensive and prices could continue to rise
Shunsuke Nakato, CEO of the Memory Business Unit at Kioxia, discussed the current market situation. Nakato described the current situation in an interview with the Korean publication Digital Daily:
To be honest, this year’s production volume is already sold out. The days of cheap 1TB SSDs for around 7,000 yen (about $45) are over.
He warns that the increasing demand for artificial intelligence will continue, describing the current market as a “high-end phase with high prices,” leading to a shortage of supply in both the corporate and consumer markets.
Regarding production costs, the Kioxia manager notes a price increase of “more than 30% compared to last year” and predicts that this trend will continue at least until 2027. He also stated:
Companies feel they fall behind as soon as they stop investing in AI, leaving them no choice but to keep investing.
What are the current prices like? Anyone looking to buy an NVMe SSD for their PC or console is already paying significantly more than half a year ago. We were able to confirm this with a sample we conducted on Geizhals.de. For comparability, we only compared models with 1TB.
- The Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 1TB was still around 75 euros in September 2025, now it is between 130 and 140 euros.
- For the WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD 1TB, you paid around 70 euros in September 2025, but now the price is rather around 130 euros.
- The Crucial P3 Plus SSD 1TB was still just under 60 euros in September 2025, now you pay nearly 160 euros.
For all models, prices have risen noticeably in recent weeks and have even more than doubled in some cases, depending on the model. And so far, there seems to be no sign of prices stopping their rise.
Hardware has become quite expensive. Some users are even going so far as to buy components that are 18 years old: DDR3 RAM and compatible processors are significantly cheaper. Retailers report that sales of old hardware have reportedly surged: Users are currently buying 18-year-old hardware out of desperation because modern memory is currently too expensive
