Nvidia is pulling back on consumer GPU production in 2026, cutting supply to add-in-board partners by 15-20% according to leaked reports from manufacturing sources. The reduction affects the entire RTX 50 lineup, with models above 12GB VRAM seeing the sharpest constraints.
The company confirmed via X on January 5 it won't announce new GPUs at CES 2026, breaking a five-year streak. Asus told Hardware Unboxed the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB models are effectively cancelled, though Nvidia officially denies discontinuing any SKUs. The RTX 5070 with 16GB VRAM now sits as the highest-end consumer option with reliable supply.
The shift reflects Nvidia's datacenter priorities. Global memory shortages and component constraints are forcing allocation decisions, and AI chips like the Blackwell series with GDDR7 are winning. Early 2026 saw consumer GPU production cuts of up to 40% due to memory supply issues. The Information reported February 5 that Nvidia's next-generation "Kicker" architecture faces delays, with the RTX 60 series possibly pushed to late 2027.
This is Nvidia's first year without gaming GPU launches in roughly 30 years, according to industry sources. The claim warrants scrutiny given the recent five-year CES announcement pattern, but the broader trend is clear: gaming silicon is losing priority.
What this means in practice: Enterprise buyers watching Nvidia's AI infrastructure buildout should note the company is making hard allocation choices under supply pressure. AMD's RX 9000 series could gain PC gaming market share through stable pricing commitments, though leaked timelines suggest limited near-term competition for high-end workloads.
The real test comes in Q2 2026 when enterprise AI deployments ramp and consumer GPU availability becomes clearer. Nvidia's betting AI profits outweigh gaming revenue risk. We'll see if the memory market cooperates.