Microsoft pushes crippling price hikes across its Surface PCs – and you know what's to blame

Microsoft has raised prices for its current line-up of Surface devices, citing the increases in memory and component costs. Pressure has been put on the industry because of increased demand for hardware to power data centres for expanding AI services.

That's seen the 12-inch Surface Pro move from the £779 price that it was a few months ago, up to £999, while the 13-inch model moves from £1,029 up to £1,199. These prices reflect similar changes on the US store, first highlighted by Windows Central.

It's expected that other retailers will follow suit, although a quick glance at Amazon sees the Surface Pro (12in) listed from £649.99, so there are still some competitive prices out there for savvy shoppers.

"Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current‑generation hardware portfolio," the tech giant told Windows Central in a statement, which anyone keeping up with news in tech will have already assumed.

The RAM crisis has already seen price increases coming from brands like Oppo and OnePlus, while we’re also hearing similar things about Steam Machine, PlayStation 6 and it's expected to run into the future, pushing up prices across the industry.

At the same time, the effect of the price increase is further felt because some of the entry-level models have been dropped, so everything looks more expensive across the board.

These sorts of increases are unlikely to be limited to Microsoft: in some cases, we might see the specs appearing to stall or head backwards as demand outstrips supply. We've already seen Western Digital confirm that its hard drive stock is sold out for 2026, so those looking for a new device could be hit hard in the pocket.

However, there do still seem to be some good deals available from existing stock, but it might not be long before prices start increasing on older devices too.