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AI Storage Squeeze Hits Japan: High-Capacity MicroSDs, HDDs Vanish as DDR5 Prices Soar

Tokyo retailers attribute the stockouts to AI-focused data centers absorbing supply.

Overview

  • Large-capacity MicroSD cards in the 512GB to 2TB range are repeatedly out of stock, with shops warning the shortage could persist.
  • High-capacity hard drives sell out quickly as buyers reportedly secure them for AI use, with remaining units listed at higher prices.
  • A 64GB DDR5 5600 MT/s kit jumped from ¥40,000 to ¥70,000 in roughly three weeks, and retailers report wholesale costs rising by tens of thousands of yen.
  • SSDs are described as less constrained than HDDs in current retail snapshots from Tokyo outlets.
  • Coverage notes a potential knock-on effect for Switch 2 storage as buyers turn to MicroSD Express cards, a risk characterized as possible rather than confirmed.