Personal computers running the Windows operating system will become five percent more expensive in the third quarter following a July increase in Microsoft licensing fees.
Taiwanese publication United Daily News reported that Microsoft raised its software licensing fees in July, placing additional financial pressure on both personal computer manufacturers and retail consumers. Prices for many Windows-powered devices have already risen, and further price increases will occur in the future.
Microsoft Corporation charges original equipment manufacturers a licensing fee to pre-install the Windows operating system on new personal computers. Journalists at United Daily News noted that Microsoft raises these licensing fees on an annual basis, increasing them by 7 to 10 percent this year. The exact fee structure is tied directly to the specific central processor model installed in each computer, meaning higher-specification machines face larger fee increases.
Impact on computer manufacturers and global prices
Industry sources told United Daily News that personal computer prices will rise by 5 percent overall during the third quarter. While retail prices for some devices have already increased, manufacturers previously masked those cost adjustments behind rising memory prices.
Taiwanese hardware companies ASUS and Acer were among the first computer manufacturers to report price increases. ASUS computers have risen in price by an average of 30 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2025.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. and Acer Inc. are two of the world's prominent personal computer manufacturers, supplying laptops, desktops, and components globally. Market analysts at United Daily News referenced data from Counterpoint Research, a global technology industry analytics firm, showing that worldwide computer shipments reached 65 million units in the second quarter of 2026. That shipment total represents a 4 percent decline compared to the same quarter a year earlier.
Security risks and performance of unupdated systems
The price increases come alongside separate software maintenance warnings for personal computer owners. Technology news publication BGR reported in early August that Windows computers left without regular software updates become easy targets for computer viruses and hacker attacks.
Journalists at BGR also highlighted system performance as a major consequence of skipping software updates. The publication stated that declining to install updates reduces device performance over time as uncorrected system errors accumulate on the computer.
