Microsoft has raised the licensing fees that PC manufacturers must pay for Windows 11 by 7 to 10 percent, effective July 2026. This increase is significantly higher than in previous years and, according to industry reports, will lead to further price increases for finished PCs and laptops in the coming months. Devices with more powerful processors are particularly affected, as the Windows licensing fee is based on the CPU class.
In summary:
- Microsoft has increased Windows OEM licensing fees by 7 to 10 percent as of July 2026. Normally, such adjustments are in the single-digit range.
- The fee is tiered according to CPU performance: the more powerful the processor, the more expensive the license.
- This information is based on a report by Taiwan’s United Daily News, which cites data from PC manufacturers such as Asus and Acer.
- Asus and Acer have already announced their own price increases; Asus reports a price increase of around 30 percent in Taiwan since the end of 2025.
- Market observers expect a further price increase of about 5 percent for pre-built PCs in the third quarter of 2026.
What has Microsoft changed regarding license fees?
End customers do not purchase Windows licenses for OEM devices directly from Microsoft; instead, PC manufacturers acquire them under volume licensing agreements. As a result, the price does not officially appear on any invoice. This is precisely what makes the current increase difficult to pin down, as neither Microsoft nor Asus, Acer, or Dell are commenting on the exact terms. The figures currently circulating originally come from a report by Taiwan’s United Daily News, which cites insiders at local manufacturers and was picked up by wccftech and the German tech portal WinFuture, among others. Taiwan accounts for a large portion of global Windows notebook and desktop production.
According to the report, Microsoft has raised the licensing fee across the industry by 7 to 10 percent, with rates tiered by processor class: An entry-level notebook with a less powerful CPU is licensed at a lower rate than a gaming PC or a business notebook with a high-end processor. By way of comparison: In the late 2000s, manufacturers reportedly paid up to $50 per Windows license in some cases. Since then, the exact amount has rarely been made public, but increases of this magnitude are unusual.
Why now, of all times? RAM, SSDs, and CPUs have already become more expensive
The Windows licensing fee is just one piece of a larger problem for PC manufacturers. Since late 2025, prices for RAM and SSDs have been rising sharply, partly because memory manufacturers are shifting capacity toward AI data centers and demand for traditional consumer RAM exceeds supply. Processors have also become more expensive since last year, as Windows Central, among others, notes in connection with the current memory price crisis. Manufacturers’ profit margins are already under pressure as a result. For many vendors, the higher Windows licensing fee is an ill-timed additional burden.
An industry representative is quoted in the report as saying that PC brands are facing growing operational challenges this year: Following the price increases for memory, SSDs, and CPUs since last year, Microsoft has now also raised its licensing fees.
How much more expensive will PCs become as a result?
Initial reactions from manufacturers indicate that the higher licensing costs are indeed being passed on to customers. Asus and Acer have announced their own single-digit price increases for Windows PCs. At Asus, the average price increase in Taiwan between the fourth quarter of 2025 and May 2026 is even around 30 percent. RAM and SSD prices are likely to account for the largest share of this increase; the Windows license is just one of several factors. Market observers anticipate a further price increase of around 5 percent for pre-built PCs in the third quarter of 2026.
| Factor | Price Trend | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Windows OEM License | +7 to 10% | since July 2026 |
| Pre-built PCs (Forecast) | +5% | Q3 2026 |
| Asus PCs in Taiwan | +30% on average | Q4 2025 through May 2026 |
Important to note: The Windows license remains invisible to end customers on the price tag because manufacturers do not list it separately. It is simply factored into the calculation of the total price, along with the similarly increased costs for RAM, processors, and memory chips.
Windows 11 Price When Buying a PC: What Does This Mean for You?
For buyers, this means one thing: If you’re planning to buy a new Windows PC or laptop in the coming months, you shouldn’t expect prices to drop. The current combination of more expensive RAM, more expensive SSDs, and now higher Windows licensing fees suggests that prices will likely continue to rise as 2026 progresses. If you’re planning to buy anyway, you’re generally better off acting sooner rather than later.
For anyone who’s upgrading their existing computer instead of buying a new one, it might be worth taking a look at their own Windows installation—for example, if they’re planning to switch to a new device and want to transfer their old license. We show how to cleanly set up Windows 11 in such cases in our article on generic keys for installing and activating Windows 11, among other resources.
Conclusion: Windows license fees continue to drive up PC prices
The 7 to 10 percent increase in Windows licensing fees may initially sound like a minor internal footnote between Microsoft and its OEM partners. In reality, however, it’s just one of a whole series of price drivers coming together in 2026: more expensive RAM, more expensive SSDs, more expensive CPUs, and now, a more expensive Windows license as well. For buyers, this means that the price of Windows 11 is more likely to rise than fall when purchasing a PC in the coming months. We’ll probably never get official figures from Microsoft on this, but we’ll certainly see the impact on our own bank statements the next time we buy a PC.
