The frenzy surrounding NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 release has officially kicked off, leading to quite a bit of consumer unrest as stock remains frustratingly low.
Unprecedented Demand Smothers Supply for NVIDIA’s High-End RTX Blackwell GPU
We’ve long informed our readers that the inventory of NVIDIA’s latest RTX Blackwell graphics cards would be thin on the ground. While NVIDIA did forewarn the public about limited stock before the product rollout, the pre-release excitement among gamers grew to exceptional levels, creating what could only be described as total bedlam at retail locations. One of the more bizarre scenes unfolded in Japan. According to a report by @sarasteam0151, some eager customers lost their cool when chasing the RTX 5090, resulting in disorderly conduct at the product’s launch event.
In an effort to manage the overwhelming demand and curb the threat of scalping, Japanese stores decided to implement a lottery system for the RTX 5090. Unfortunately, this approach seems to have backfired, resulting in chaotic conditions. Reports describe scenes where people, desperate for the product, even scaled the fence of a neighboring kindergarten as a dramatic protest against the shortage.
Interestingly, this disruptive mood isn’t confined to Japan. Across the United States, the scenario is similarly dire. Stores like MicroCenter are reportedly receiving RTX 5090 units in numbers small enough to be counted on one hand. To worsen matters, eager buyers camped outside the stores well ahead of launch, leaving little hope for regular customers trying to snag one of these coveted graphics cards on release day. It’s a bitter pill for dedicated fans eagerly awaiting their RTX Blackwell GPUs.
So, what’s driving this scarcity? It appears that NVIDIA’s choice to incorporate GDDR7 memory modules into this generation is a key reason for the sparse supply. Moreover, AIB partners, who face narrow profit margins with the RTX 50 series, are inclined to push prices above the suggested retail, only adding to the market woes. For now, our best advice to consumers is to hold tight, as it may take several weeks for stocks to stabilize. By that time, players might also have the option to consider AMD’s upcoming RX 9070 series GPUs.
