The Nex Playground, a kid-focused motion-control console that exploded in popularity last year, is the latest bit of video game tech to announce a price increase directly connected to the ongoing RAM shortage caused by AI hyperscalers rushing to build data centers.
On March 25, in an open letter posted online, Nex CEO and co-founder David Lee announced that starting next month, the company’s flagship console, the Nex Playground, will receive a $50 price increase, bumping the price from $250 to $300. This is the second price increase in less than two years.
“We know this isn’t welcome news, and this is not a change we take lightly,” said Lee in his post on the official Nex website. He also directly laid the blame for the price increase on the RAM crisis affecting tech products around the world.
“Over the past six months, the cost of key components — especially memory (DDR) and storage (eMMC) — has risen significantly across the industry,” said Lee. “These increases are driven in part by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, which is reshaping global supply and demand for these parts. You may have seen reports about the broader memory shortage. Like many consumer electronics companies, we’ve worked hard to absorb these cost increases for as long as possible. However, at current levels, it’s no longer something we can sustainably carry on our own.”
The Playground’s price increase will kick in on April 1. The company isn’t raising the price on its Game Pass-like subscription service. Lee says the company is “truly sorry” that this price bump might make the console “less accessible for some families.”
What is the NEX Playground, and why is it getting a price increase?
The Nex Playground features no physical controls. Instead, like with an Xbox Kinect, players interact with games and menus using their bodies. The console launched in 2023 and cost $200. Sales were slow at first, but during the holiday shopping season in 2024, the device went viral thanks to TikTok and online creators. This led to it selling out and a price increase in 2025 to $250. Last year, the Nex Playground outsold the PS5 and Xbox during a short period of time. Nex says it has sold around 1 million units of the device since launch.
The ongoing RAM crisis has made it harder and harder for companies to secure the parts needed to build game consoles, computers, and other tech devices. One PC parts maker called 2026 the “most challenging year” in its history due to the shortage.
This is all largely thanks to AI hyperscalers and tech giants gobbling up PC parts to build datacenters. It’s become quite pricey and challenging for your average person to buy PC RAM, graphics cards, or even an SSD for a console. Even the prices on prebuilt PCs from companies like HP, Dell, and Asus will increase by 15 to 20 percent, according to PC World.
