An RTX 5090 graphics card resting against its retail box with a closeup of the RTX 5090 branding — (Image credit: Future)

Some gamers are queueing up ahead of RTX 5090's launch
The jury is out on whether these are scalpers or not
Shortages for the RTX 5090 have been anticipated

The hype for Nvidia’s upcoming flagship graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5090, continues as we get closer to the release date. And it seems that gamers are also excited, as lines have already started to form ahead of its launch.

Several sources, including a report from IGN and the r/Microcenter subreddit, have confirmed through photographic evidence that tents have been pitched in front of retailers, securing places in line well before the card goes on sale – including a brick-and-mortar Micro Center in Tustin, CA.

Even a Redditor is claiming to be one of the campers, though they insist that the RTX 5090 will be “for our own use” and not for reselling purposes. They also state that everyone “in line at the moment” is “very nice and respectful.”

Regardless of whether we’re seeing scalpers attempting to profit off the next new tech toy or genuine gamers excited for the RTX 5090, it’s always fascinating watching just how far people are willing to go to get their hands on something coveted.

Possible RTX 5090 shortages and more

One of the biggest obstacles to getting one of the best graphics cards will most likely be the shortages. MSI reports that RTX 5090 supply will be limited at launch, which suggests a chip shortage on Nvidia's end. Another source, IT Home (translated from Chinese), states the possible shortage “stems from miscommunication between Nvidia and partners, plus the 'Spring Festival' (Chinese New Year) affecting factory opening times.”

It seems that there are some measures to ease this issue in physical retail locations at least. Micro Center’s website states that it’ll use a ‘voucher system’ on the launch day, with customers receiving a voucher on a first-come, first-served basis before the store opens at 9am EST / 6am PST. This will at least ensure that said customers will have access to at least one of the graphics cards, though it doesn’t guarantee which one they’ll get.

But if you’re trying to track down your own flagship card, you can check out our live guide on where to buy the Nvidia RTX 5090. You can also read our review of the card, which awards it four and a half stars, citing its best-in-market performance, excellent dual-slot design, remarkable DLSS 4, PCIe 5.0 GPU, and 8K gaming capabilities.

Hopefully, whatever shortages are set to happen will abate in short order, or else the situation could turn dire thanks to scalpers, upcoming tariffs affecting the US, and anything else. But if all else fails, it might be simply best to wait it out, especially since the RTX 4000-series is more than powerful enough for the best gaming PCs.

You might also like...

Nvidia RTX 5090 8K performance has blown me away already
Nvidia RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090: we put Nvidia's best graphics cards head-to-head
Scalpers are salivating right now - MSI suggests RTX 5090 supply will be tight due to Nvidia's shortage

Home

Gamers are already lining up to buy an Nvidia RTX 5090 - I just hope there's enough stock of the GPU