The buzz around NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 launch has quickly turned into a frenzy, with low inventory levels leaving many gamers frustrated and empty-handed.
## High Demand Meets Scarce Supply for NVIDIA’s Latest GPU
We’ve been letting you in on NVIDIA’s plan to release the RTX Blackwell GPUs in limited quantities, but it seems that the hype has outpaced the supply. As expected, this has led to widespread “release chaos” across major retailers. Over in Japan, things have taken an even more interesting turn. Reports from @sarasteam0151 highlighted that eager customers went “rogue,” leading to chaotic scenes at the launch.
At some retail outlets in Japan, they tried implementing a “lottery” system to give everyone a fair shot at snagging a GeForce RTX 5090, while also trying to prevent scalpers from scooping up all the stock. However, the plan went off the rails, causing enough commotion for people to literally climb fences at a nearby kindergarten, voicing their annoyance over the pandemonium.
The situation isn’t much better across the pond in the U.S. Either, where stores like MicroCenter are reportedly getting allocated as few as single-digit quantities of the RTX 5090. To make matters worse, eager fans camped out in front of these stores days before the official launch, making it nearly impossible for regular customers to get their hands on one of these coveted GPUs. It’s a real letdown for those who had hoped to upgrade to the RTX Blackwell the moment it hit the shelves.
For those puzzled by this scarcity, one major factor is NVIDIA’s choice to incorporate GDDR7 memory modules, which appears to be causing supply constraints. Additionally, with AIB partners grappling with tight profit margins on the RTX 50 series, they’ve opted to sell their stock above the standard MSRP, only adding to the launch day mayhem. Our recommendation for eager consumers? Hold off for now. It may take weeks for inventory levels to normalize. On the bright side, by then, you might have a chance to weigh AMD’s upcoming RX 9070 series GPUs as well.
