Microsoft Hikes Windows 11 Licensing Fees Amid Ongoing Hardware Price Hike

Microsoft is raising its licensing fees for Windows 11 by up to 10% as part of the ongoing trend of increasing technology costs in 2026. According to a report from Taiwanese economics outlet Economic Daily News, this price increase will affect OEM system builders who sell completed systems rather than DIY enthusiasts buying keys for their own PCs.

The license fee increases won't be uniform across all systems, with Microsoft scaling the fees according to processor type. A laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor, for instance, will owe a larger share than one with a Core i3 chip. Asus and Acer are expected to raise prices by about 5% later this year in response.

This move comes amidst a broader context of rising costs for PC hardware, including the RAM crisis that has seen manufacturers sell through their 2027 manufacturing capacity. The price increase is not expected to have a major impact on overall costs, but it's another factor contributing to the growing expense of buying a PC.