Nvidia is different now.

The launch of the RTX 50-series graphics cards was not only shocking due to the minimal upgrades but also a "cold shower" for the average consumer's wallet.

ZNews•09/02/2026

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. Photo: CNBC .

The pace of new technology product launches is showing signs of slowing down. A prime example is Nvidia's decision to postpone the release of its next-generation RTX GPUs for gaming PCs. More concerningly, despite offering only modest performance improvements, Nvidia seems indifferent to maintaining an accessible price point, putting mainstream consumers at a disadvantage.

According to Gizmodo , Nvidia is "discriminating" against the mainstream customer base, specifically users who need graphics cards for personal computers. The company claims the supply disruption is due to a memory shortage, but in reality, Nvidia is prioritizing all resources for AI chip production.

The price is sky-high.

Gamers had high expectations for upgrades like the RTX 5070 Ti or 5080 Super at CES 2026, but were met with a chilling silence. Compared to the previous RTX 40 series – which offered excellent value with the Super versions providing higher performance at a lower price, thus driving down the price of older cards – user hopes for a similar price drop for the 50-series have been almost completely dashed.

The pricing and configurations Nvidia is offering seem to be sending a clear message: they no longer need their traditional customers, the gamers who have brought them to the top.

Nvidia appears to be turning its back on gamers – the very people who helped them reach the top. Photo: Gizmodo.

The RTX 5090 was listed with a record-breaking starting price of $1,999 (approximately over 50 million VND before taxes and fees), boasting 32 GB of GDDR7 VRAM. Meanwhile, the RTX 5080 – a product aimed at the upper mid-range segment – was "trimmed" to only 16 GB of VRAM with a price of $1,199 .

"Nvidia is asking you to pay more for inferior products," Gizmodo commented. Maintaining 16GB of VRAM on a graphics card costing over $1,000 in 2025 is considered an "insult" to users, given that modern AAA games and personal AI tasks are increasingly resource-intensive.

Why is Nvidia so confident in setting such exorbitant prices? The answer lies in the AI craze. Currently, data centers and technology corporations are willing to spend heavily on an Nvidia AI chip. Compared to the enormous profits from the enterprise sector, the gaming graphics card market has suddenly become smaller and less important.

Nvidia no longer needs gamers.

In reality, Nvidia knew that even if they priced the RTX 5090 at $2,000 , it would still sell out. Not because gamers had money to spare, but because independent AI researchers and small studios would buy them all up for their work. This puts mainstream users at a disadvantage: they have to compete with the bottomless pockets of the industrial sector to obtain a computer component.

Not only do gamers have to pay a hefty price for the graphics card, but they also have to spend more money to run these devices. With power consumption reaching up to 600 W for the RTX 5090, users are forced to upgrade to an expensive power supply unit (PSU), replace the case with a larger one, and invest in a state-of-the-art cooling system.

Nvidia is turning high-end gaming into a privilege for the super-rich. Photo: Gizmodo.

In addition, The Information has just revealed that Nvidia is also scaling back its personal graphics card lineup. The launch of the Super series has been delayed until 2026, while the next-generation RTX 60 series won't appear until 2028. At the same time, the company is also tightening the supply of the current RTX 50 series.

Nvidia seems intent on turning high-end gaming into a privilege for the super-rich. "You won't even be able to afford them if you want to," one user commented, reflecting the market's despair at seeing a tech company gradually turn its back on its loyal fanbase to pursue lucrative AI contracts.

Nvidia's declining interest in optimizing pricing for individual customers is a sign that the era of "everyday graphics cards" is over. Now, to own the latest technology, customers need not only passion but also extremely strong finances – a harsh reality in a tech world dominated by AI profits.

Source: https://znews.vn/nvidia-khong-con-quan-tam-den-khach-le-post1626000.html