Sony has stopped accepting orders for almost every memory card it makes—CFexpress Type A, Type B, and SD—as the AI-fuelled global semiconductor shortage leaves the company unable to meet demand. Announced on March 27 for the Japanese market, the suspension has no stated end date. With NAND flash prices up over 55% quarter-over-quarter and memory card costs tripling in recent months, Sony is the first major manufacturer to halt sales outright.
Sony has pulled the plug on orders for almost its entire memory card lineup—CFexpress Type A, Type B, and SD—after concluding that supply simply cannot keep up with demand anymore. The company posted a notice on its Japanese website on March 27, confirming the suspension covers both authorized dealers and Sony Store customers.
No end date was given. Sony said it would watch the supply situation and announce a resumption “separately on the product information page” when conditions improve.The list of affected products is extensive. Every CFexpress Type A card from 240GB to 1,920GB is gone. The 240GB and 480GB Type B cards are out. And Sony’s SD card range has been swept almost clean—from the premium TOUGH-branded models down to budget V30-rated 64GB cards.
Only the 960GB CFexpress Type B and the already-discontinued SF-UZ series SD cards remain unaffected.
AI ‘s appetite for NAND flash is starving every other industry
The culprit isn’t a mystery. AI data centres are hoovering up NAND flash and DRAM at a rate that leaves little room for consumer-grade products like memory cards. TrendForce’s Q1 2026 forecast pegged DRAM contract prices at a 90–95% quarter-over-quarter jump, with NAND flash up 55–60%. Memory card prices have roughly tripled in recent months.
A helium shortage tied to the war in Iran—helium being essential to chipmaking—may be compounding the problem.The fact that even Sony’s cheapest V30 SD cards are caught in the freeze makes one thing clear: this isn’t a high-end supply issue. It’s hitting every tier of NAND production.
First to halt, unlikely to be the last
Sony is the first major player to stop taking memory card orders outright instead of just raising prices. The timing is pointed—the announcement dropped the same day Sony confirmed PS5 price hikes of up to $100 worldwide. Existing US retail stock at places like B&H is still available, but once it’s gone, it’s gone. No restocking until production resumes.
