Price gouging software Company Microsoft, who have jacked up the price of their Xbox products along with M365 subscriptions along with One Drive costs this year, is now hitting manufacturers with a Windows price rise, which is set tp be passed directly onto consumers by PC manufacturers. Microsoft has quietly increased Windows OEM licensing fees for computer manufacturers by 7% to 10%, delivering a fresh blow to PC vendors already reeling from historic hardware inflation shrinking margins and massive memory price increases. Microsoft routinely makes annual adjustments to its Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) licensing contracts, a PC brand executive noted that past adjustments were typically capped at low single digits. Modular laptop maker Framework flagged these rising Windows licensing costs as early as late July alongside price hikes for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and memory modules. PC manufacturers are hiding these fee increases inside broader price adjustments driven by skyrocketing silicon costs, making it difficult for everyday buyers to isolate the software surcharge.