The amount of money gamers are willing to pay for a graphics card (GPU), one of the main parts of the gaming experience, has increased significantly over the years. While gaming GPUs can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, the market average was around $255 back in 2020. Today, that figure is close to $390, marking a considerable 52% increase in just five years. Moreover, the trend shows no signs of slowing, with the average GPU price expected to see double-digit growth in the years ahead.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, gamers are expected to spend an average of $584 on GPUs by 2030, nearly 70% more than last year.
Over $81 Billion to Be Spent on GPUs Alone by 2030, $7 Billion More Each Year
Over the past five years, gamers worldwide have been spending well over $100 billion annually on gaming hardware, and GPUs – key to a smooth gaming experience- have become one of the highest costs in that head-spinning figure. Back in 2020, the gaming community spent roughly $12 billion on GPUs. While a lot, that`s 3.5x less than the annual bill of $42.7 billion reported last year. Yes, spending on GPUs is surging, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and Statista data proves this.
While flagship GPUs can cost well over $1,000, most gamers still buy mid-range models, keeping average spending lower. But even that average figure has increased significantly over the years. According to the Statista Market Insights survey, just five years ago, gamers spent an average of $255 on a GPU. Since then, this figure has increased by a considerable 52%, reaching nearly $390 as of this year. That means you’ll pay roughly $135 more on average for a GPU in 2026 than you did just five years ago, and this price gap will only grow in the future.
Statista expects the average GPU price to jump by nearly 70% to $584 by the end of the decade, meaning you’ll have to spend nearly $200 more per GPU in 2030 than you do today. Moreover, that is 2-5 times higher than the price growth expected in other segments of the gaming accessories market.
For example, average spending per user on CPUs is set to jump by 33% to $493 in this period, while gaming monitors will see a 14% increase, reaching roughly $227 per user by 2030. Â And here`s another shocking fact: according to Statista, gamers will spend over $81 billion on GPUs alone in 2030, nearly twice as much as last year, with the annual bill rising by roughly $7 billion over the next five years.
Gamers to Spend Roughly $100 More on GPUs than on CPUs by 2030
While it’s clear that GPUs are becoming much more expensive than other gaming components, it’s still shocking that, five years from now, they’ll be more expensive than processors, according to Statista market projections. Back in 2020, gamers spent an average of $325 on a CPU, roughly $70 more than on graphics cards. Today, that price gap has dropped to just $5, and forecasts show CPUs will lose the race with GPUs in the years ahead. Statista estimates show gamers will pay an average of $493 for processors in 2030, roughly $100 less than for graphics cards.