[News] Samsung SSD Prices Reportedly Surge Up to 300% in Japan, Kioxia Also Posts Gains as Market Divergence Widens

With multiple memory vendors already warning of tightening memory supply heading into 2027, Japan appears to be among the markets facing the sharpest impact, particularly across the consumer and retail segments. Tom’s Hardware, citing Akiba PC Hotline!, reports that Samsung SSD prices at various PC retailers have surged by as much as 300%, with the flagship 8TB Samsung 9100 Pro climbing to as high as $3,470.97 (¥547,980) at current exchange rates.

Tom’s Hardware also highlights a sharp price gap with overseas markets, noting the same Samsung drive is listed on Amazon for about $1,960.69—roughly 43% cheaper than in Japan. Notably, the report suggests the upward pressure extends beyond high-capacity PCIe 5.0 models, with the 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro with heatsink now priced at around $1,773 (¥279,980), up 31.5%, while the 2TB version has climbed to about $893 (¥140,980).

According to SSD price tracker data cited by Tom’s Hardware, these levels are nearly double those seen for equivalent models in the U.S. Even Samsung’s more mainstream lineup has not been spared, with some models surging by as much as 384.7% compared with January levels, the report adds.

Kioxia is another brand seeing steep price increases on Japanese retail shelves. Citing data from Akiba PC Hotline!, Tom’s Hardware reports that Kioxia SSDs have also recorded notable gains, ranging from 39.8% to 59.4%. As a result, the 2TB Exceria Pro G2 is now reportedly priced at $594.68 (¥93,880), while the 1TB Exceria Basic has climbed to around $208 (¥32,980).

However, the pricing trend is not uniform across brands, with clear divergence emerging in the market. According to Akiba PC Hotline!, Western Digital (SanDisk) has instead seen notable price cuts in several models. The WD Black SN8100 (non-heatsink) 8TB, 4TB, and 1TB variants have fallen to ¥398,000, ¥157,980 (–24.7%), and ¥49,800 respectively, while heatsink versions remained largely unchanged.

On the other hand, Micron Crucial’s T710 4TB (non-heatsink) also eased to ¥129,800, while the 2TB version surged to ¥94,800 due to stock shortages at lower-priced retailers, the report notes.

Japan’s Consumer Segment under Memory Supply Strain

Notably, these violent fluctuations in the retail market could be regarded as a direct reflection of collective anxiety across the upstream supply chain. As memory resources are increasingly prioritized for AI infrastructure, Japan’s iconic consumer electronics manufacturers, are facing unprecedented pressure on both costs and profit margins.

As noted by Bloomberg, the pressure facing electronics manufacturers underscores the growing market polarization driven by the AI boom. Though this divergence is not limited to Japan, the impact is particularly pronounced for Japanese manufacturers, which continue to lose market share to competitors in South Korea and other regions, the report adds.

For instance, CNBC reports that Nintendo plans to raise the retail price of the Switch 2 after forecasting weaker sales for its flagship console, as the ongoing memory chip shortage weighs on the Japanese gaming giant. According to the report, the company now expects Switch 2 sales to reach 16.5 million units in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, down from 19.86 million units in the previous year.

Against this backdrop, Nintendo confirmed price increases across major markets. In the U.S., the Switch 2 will rise by $50 to $499.99 starting Sept. 1, while in Japan the price will increase from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 from May 25, as per CNBC.

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(Photo credit: Samsung)