Friday, September 11th 2026
Gamers Buy More GPUs Than Ever in Q2 2026, Even as Prices Keep Climbing
Desktop graphics card shipments hit 12.5 million units in Q2 2026, the highest quarterly total since Q1 2022, according to new data from Jon Peddie Research. That's a 5.9% jump from the previous quarter and a 7.8% increase year over year, despite GPU prices climbing for months. For the first half of 2026, desktop AIB shipments reached 24.3 million units, up from 20.8 million over the same stretch last year. This spike is interesting partly because of the timing, since the industry is facing a severe memory crisis. VRAM costs have been rising steadily, and GPU makers have already pushed through several rounds of price increases on entry-level and high-end cards alike.
Jon Peddie, president of JPR, thinks that the price hikes are actually feeding the shipment growth rather than slowing it. Common sense dictates that rising prices will adversely affect sales, as gamers will tend to stick with their existing GPUs rather than spending big on a new upgrade. However, Jon's theory is that gamers are buying now because they expect prices to climb further, especially as GDDR7 costs keep rising. Apparently, the fear of missing a better price is doing more to move units right now than the higher prices are doing to scare buyers away.
NVIDIA still dominates the desktop discrete GPU market, shipping around 11.25 million units for roughly 90% share. AMD held about 8% share on a million units shipped, while Intel edged up to 2%. None of the three saw much quarter-over-quarter movement in share. The interesting part, however, is that GPU demand keeps holding up in a market that's getting pricier by the week.
Source:
Jon Peddie Research
Jon Peddie, president of JPR, thinks that the price hikes are actually feeding the shipment growth rather than slowing it. Common sense dictates that rising prices will adversely affect sales, as gamers will tend to stick with their existing GPUs rather than spending big on a new upgrade. However, Jon's theory is that gamers are buying now because they expect prices to climb further, especially as GDDR7 costs keep rising. Apparently, the fear of missing a better price is doing more to move units right now than the higher prices are doing to scare buyers away.
181 Comments on Gamers Buy More GPUs Than Ever in Q2 2026, Even as Prices Keep Climbing
As for those buying GPUs, I find it curious. Not sure what my point is, but I do well for myself, but look around at what people buy, not just GPUs but houses, cars and restaurants, etc. Are people just going in debt? Not saving for a rainy day? Might be more of a US thing, but I don't get how people afford what they are buying.
When it's out of necessity, I guess, but just for the sake of getting it 'cause "we never know", no. We know. It was the same spiel during crypto/covid and by 2024, GPUs were cheaper. Granted not the cheapest, but cheaper.
But also, these numbers are about Q2. And, at least over here in Europe, prices for GPUs were on the lower end just before summer. Not MSRP low, but near. Only the RTX 5090, but that card never was at or near it's MSRP. Q3 is a totally different game altogether.
But I heard enough:Jon Peddie, says so. Retailers, get the 5090 to €9050 and use the 2006 meme to market it!!
But like I said, people don't shop with their brains. :)
as for gamers pushing back, that really isn't going to do that much at all, even if it was possible to have all gamers boycott buying, the OEMs would just stop buying from Nvidia, and wouldn't lower prices because of that, since demand is crazy strong, so they would sit on their inventory or just sell it to businesses, they can't sell it at a loss, they would go bankrupt
Consumption doesn't necessarily reflect actual needs in a consumer society.
But I bought a ASUS RTX 5070 in May for 579€ after the price hike was announced. Now it costs 800€.
:cool:
How many graphics cards do you think I will buy in the third and fourth quarters for 800€?
Right answer is
ZERO :D:D:D