NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 Launch Sparks Chaos: Japan Faces Turbulent Release and Global Retailers Report Limited Stock

The frenzy surrounding the release of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 has officially kicked off, characterized by a strikingly low stock and mounting frustration among eager buyers.

Tremendous Demand, Scarce Supply: The Turbulent Launch of NVIDIA’s RTX Blackwell GPU

We previously informed our readers about the anticipated scarcity of NVIDIA’s RTX Blackwell GPUs, and indeed, the stocks are among the lowest we’ve seen with such a launch. Despite NVIDIA’s early warnings, consumer excitement soared, leading to what can only be described as "inventory chaos" at retailers. A particularly chaotic scene unfolded in Japan, as detailed by @sarasteam0151, where eager consumers seemingly went "rogue" during the RTX 5090 launch.

In Japan, retailers attempted to implement a "lottery" system to manage early purchases of the GeForce RTX 5090, aiming to ensure fairness and curb scalping. However, things took a turn for the worse. The launch event descended into chaos, with frustrated buyers reportedly climbing the fence of a nearby kindergarten in their desperation.

And it’s not just a Japanese phenomenon—retail situations in the US are equally concerning. Reports indicate that stores like MicroCenter have received only a handful of NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 units, with some stores seeing numbers in the "single-digits." The anticipation was so intense that some individuals camped outside retail outlets days ahead of the official release, making it tough for the average consumer to snag a card on launch day. It’s undeniably frustrating for enthusiasts hoping to score an RTX Blackwell immediately, but given the circumstances, that’s the current reality.

For those puzzled about the extremely low inventory this time around, NVIDIA’s choice to use GDDR7 memory modules appears to be a significant factor. Adding to the woes, AIB partners are facing tight profit margins on the RTX 50 series GPUs, pushing them to sell their stock at above MSRP, contributing further to the launch chaos. Our advice to consumers is to be patient and wait for stock levels to normalize, which could take a few weeks. By then, we might even see AMD’s RX 9070 series GPUs entering the fray.