“Buy Now or Pay a Third More”: ASUS Officially Announces 30% Price Hike

ASUS has confirmed that starting in the second quarter of 2026, the average price of its computers will increase by 25–30%. This was stated by the general manager of the manufacturer’s Taiwan division, Yi-Hsiang Liao, during a presentation for the new Zenbook A16 laptop held in partnership with Qualcomm. According to the executive, the price hikes will affect all categories—from ultrabooks to gaming systems—and depending on the model, the increase could end up even higher than the stated threshold.

The manufacturer points to an explosive rise in the cost of RAM and SSDs. ASUS emphasizes that this issue isn’t unique to the company, and all major vendors including Acer, MSI, and Gigabyte are facing similar difficulties. They are also expected to adjust their prices in the coming months. According to manufacturers’ estimates, the average market-wide increase will be at least 10–15%, and in some segments, it could reach as high as 30%.

Despite the price increases, ASUS forecasts sales growth of at least 10% this year. This is being fueled by a buying frenzy: customers, expecting further price hikes, are rushing to buy their gear ahead of time. Already in the first quarter, the average selling price of ASUS devices was up 15% compared to the end of last year, and by the end of 2026, the manufacturer expects the average transaction value to increase by 30% compared to 2025.

While the price increase has officially been confirmed only for Taiwan, given the company’s global nature and the fact that PC and laptop prices have also been steadily rising in other markets in recent months, the likelihood of any region being spared is extremely low. ASUS has previously stated that it will adjust prices as it works through existing inventory of components purchased at lower prices, while also taking regional competition into account.

For the end consumer, this boils down to a simple rule: if you've been planning to upgrade your computer or laptop for a while, it makes sense not to put off the purchase.

What do you think? Is now the time to buy tech in anticipation of further price increases, or is it wiser to wait out the frenzy? Share your opinion in the comments.