SanDisk launches $2,960 PS5 SSD amid chip shortage - MSN

SanDisk's launch of a $2,960 official PS5 SSD highlights the severe semiconductor supply constraints affecting consumer markets. The global NAND flash and DRAM shortages, primarily driven by AI infras... Read original →

SanDisk’s $2,960 PS5 SSD isn’t a gimmick—it’s a symptom of AI infrastructure monopolizing NAND and DRAM capacity. Technically, gaming storage is being forced to adopt enterprise-grade architectures, raising controller complexity and firmware costs, which marginalizes smaller module makers. Geopolitically, export controls on lithography tools and constrained fab expansions in Taiwan, China amplify supply fragility. Competitors like Samsung and Kioxia will likely reallocate high-margin enterprise SSD output to hyperscalers, starving consumer channels further. Even if NAND prices ease slightly by late 2026, AI clusters’ insatiable demand for high-bandwidth QLC NAND will keep foundry lines fully booked, sustaining premium pricing for high-end gaming peripherals. The era of cost-driven consumer electronics is giving way to supply-constrained prioritization.