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| GDDR7 memory shown with Nvidia RTX 50 series GPUs |
In a week marked by confusion and concern for PC gamers, Nvidia has moved decisively to deny reports that its next-generation graphics cards are facing an early demise. Following whispers of production halts and a sharp rebuttal from partner ASUS, the GPU giant has now confirmed that shipments of its highly anticipated Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 50 series will continue, despite a significant industry-wide memory shortage.
The clarification comes directly from Team Green, communicated to outlets including Hardware Unboxed and Wccftech. "Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained," a statement read. However, the company plans to "continue to ship all GeForce SKUs" while actively working to help "suppliers to maximize memory availability."
Behind the Scenes: Eating Costs to Protect Prices
While the reassurance on supply is welcome, a more surprising revelation comes from industry sources speaking to Wccftech. The report suggests that to prevent even steeper price hikes, Nvidia is sacrificing a portion of its own profits by absorbing some of the increased costs of GDDR7 memory.
According to the sources, Nvidia "held off passing through any memory cost increases longer than most companies," and crucially, "Not all of the memory costs increases are being passed through to partners and end users." This strategy, the source indicates, is a conscious effort to keep the already premium RTX 50 series, led by the often-$3000+ RTX 5090, from spiraling completely out of financial reach for enthusiasts.
This move is particularly notable given Nvidia's much-publicized strategic pivot towards lucrative enterprise AI, a shift underscored by CEO Jensen Huang’s recent CES 2026 keynote. The decision to cushion the blow of memory inflation for gamers suggests a continued, if challenging, commitment to its core consumer graphics business.
Exclusive: NVIDIA is absorbing memory costs to protect gamers “for now”; here’s the other side of GPU shortages.https://t.co/Fh0BKn5pru
— Wccftech (@wccftech) January 16, 2026
A Market Under Pressure
The context of these shortages makes Nvidia's reported actions more significant. The memory crunch isn't an isolated issue, and competitors are also adjusting. In a related market shift, AMD is also navigating component inflation, with a recent report detailing upcoming price adjustments for its Radeon GPUs. According to an analysis, factors like increased memory and packaging costs are expected to make Radeon cards with 8GB of VRAM roughly $20 more expensive, and 16GB models about $40 pricier, as we move further into 2026.
This industry-wide pressure debunks earlier rumors that Nvidia had stopped bundling DRAM with its Blackwell GPUs, forcing add-in-board partners to source their own expensive GDDR7. Wccftech confirms those claims lack merit, and a source indicated the actual added production costs "are not as severe as some insiders anticipated."
The Reality for Gamers: Scarcity and High Demand Persist
Despite the corporate cost-absorption and firm denials of discontinuation, the market reality for consumers remains tough. Many RTX 50 series GPUs are still plagued by low stock, and prices, while perhaps less than they could have been, are undeniably high. Nvidia acknowledges that the memory shortage is limiting the volume of new cards reaching the market. However, they also point to "continued strong sales and high demand" as primary factors for scarcity, suggesting that even a normalized memory supply may not immediately solve availability issues.
For now, the message from Nvidia is one of continuity, not cancellation. The RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5070 Ti, and the entire Blackwell lineup are still coming, albeit slowly and at a premium. The subtext, however, is a glimpse into a complex supply chain battle, where one of the world's most valuable companies is choosing to take a margin hit to maintain its foothold in the passionate, but price-sensitive, gaming community.