Global SD Card Shortage Hits Sony
The global memory shortage is rapidly escalating, driven primarily by the explosive expansion of artificial intelligence data centers. Tech giant Sony has officially announced the suspension of orders for nearly all of its memory cards, including CFexpress Type A, Type B, and standard SD cards, from both distributors and direct consumers. This drastic decision, officially posted on Sony’s Japanese website, cites an uncontrollable imbalance between the limited memory supply and skyrocketing market demand.
Retail Shelves Running Dry
Effective March 27, 2026, the suspension covers everything from the high-end TOUGH series down to the entry-level V30 cards. Only a few specific models, such as the 960GB CFexpress Type B and select SF-UZ series SD cards, reportedly remain in limited production. Essentially, any Sony memory cards currently sitting on retail shelves are likely the final batches available for the foreseeable future. The company has not provided any estimated timeline for when normal production and orders will resume.
Following Western Digital’s Lead
Sony’s shocking move closely follows a similar shockwave sent by Western Digital in February. WD announced that its entire hard drive (HDD) inventory planned for 2026 had already been fully booked at least 10 months in advance. Over 90% of these major clients are massive cloud providers and data centers demanding immense storage capacities for AI processing. As a result, less than 5% of the inventory was left for retail consumers, causing retail hard drive prices to surge by nearly 50% in just a few short months.
Global PlayStation 5 Price Hikes
The ripple effects of this memory crisis extend far beyond storage devices. In the same week, Sony announced a global price increase for all PlayStation 5 consoles and the PlayStation Portal. In the US and Europe, prices will jump by up to $100, and a staggering $150 for the Pro model, starting April 2, 2026. The company attributed this massive hike to severe economic pressures and heavily inflated component costs, specifically pointing to the soaring price of memory chips.
The Enterprise AI Shift
Industry analysts note that this crisis highlights a major market shift: massive tech companies are now strictly prioritizing enterprise clients over regular consumers. The AI sector possesses immense purchasing power and is aggressively securing long-term supply contracts extending into 2027 and 2028. This extreme demand has driven NAND Flash memory prices up by over 55%, with SD card prices tripling in certain regions. There is growing concern that other major manufacturers will soon follow Sony’s lead, further suspending sales or aggressively hiking prices.
The tech industry is facing a critical turning point where limited global resources are being entirely absorbed by the artificial intelligence boom, making everyday consumer electronics incredibly scarce and expensive. For those needing these devices, checking the remaining stock in local retail stores and purchasing immediately might be the smartest choice before major brand products disappear from the market for years.
