NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 Launch Sparks Chaos: Japan Faces Turbulence as Global Retailers Report Scarce Inventory

NVIDIA’s launch of the GeForce RTX 5090 is off to a rocky start, with multiple reports highlighting a serious shortage in stock and plenty of frustration from eager consumers.

## High Demand Meets Scarce Supply for NVIDIA’s Latest RTX Blackwell GPU

We’ve been keeping you in the loop about the highly anticipated RTX Blackwell GPUs from NVIDIA, letting you know that supply would be tight. Despite NVIDIA’s warnings before the release of the first batch, the excitement among potential buyers has skyrocketed. This has resulted in what’s now being labeled as “inventory chaos” at various retailers, notably causing quite a stir in Japan. According to @sarasteam0151, the launch of the 5090 in Japan led to some unusual and chaotic scenes, as demand dramatically outstripped supply.

In response, Japanese retailers tried to maintain order and fairness by instituting a lottery system for the early RTX 5090 buyers—a move aimed at curbing scalpers and giving everyone a fair shot. Yet, this approach didn’t seem to quell the frenzy. Reports described a chaotic scene where frustrated customers resorted to extreme measures, including climbing the fence of a nearby kindergarten, all in a bid to secure a coveted unit.

But the pandemonium isn’t exclusive to Japan. Across the globe, notably in places like the US, the scarcity of these GPUs has become glaringly obvious. Retailers like MicroCenter have been reportedly receiving only a handful of units. To make matters more challenging for everyday customers, a number of enthusiasts have been camping outside these stores well ahead of the official launch date, making it nearly impossible for others to snatch a unit during the initial release.

For those puzzled by the scarcity this time around, several factors are at play. NVIDIA’s inclusion of the cutting-edge GDDR7 memory modules is a significant contributor to the limited availability. Additionally, AIB partners are grappling with slim margins on this RTX 50 series, prompting them to sell above the suggested retail price, further complicating the early purchase environment. Our best advice? Sit tight and wait for the situation to stabilize, which may take a few weeks. By then, we might also be seeing AMD’s RX 9070 series hitting the market, offering some alternatives to eager gamers.