Nvidia Blackwell graphics cards launched more than a year ago, starting with the RTX 5090. And while this generation had a controversial launch, the RTX 5080 Super could have redeemed the generation. But that's probably not going to happen.
Thanks to its immense success with AI hardware, it seems like Nvidia has both scaled back production of existing 50-series cards and cancelled its mid-generation refresh of Blackwell, according to a report from The Information (via Insider Gaming). At the same time, known hardware leaker @kopite7kimi suggests that the next generation of GPUs, likely led by the RTX 6090, won't be out until the second half of 2027.
Just like with the RAM shortage that's affecting all kinds of gaming hardware right now, this is thanks to the AI industry's demand for computer hardware. Nvidia has reported huge growth, thanks to the AI boom, leading to the company being the most valuable in the world, at $4.24 trillion. It wouldn't be surprising, then, if Team Green wanted to focus on the enterprise market.
Nvidia issued IGN the following comment: "Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability." That doesn't sound like a denial, so we'll just have to wait and see how the year plays out.
The State of PC Gaming
Nvidia isn't the only company that has been mysteriously silent on mid-generation releases. AMD also hasn't released a new consumer graphics card since the Radeon RX 9060 in August 2025. And it's likely for the exact same reason that Nvidia isn't releasing its super cards: the AI demand is just too high right now.
AMD just had its earnings call as well, and while CEO Lisa Su used it as a chance to reassure gamers that the Steam Machine is still coming soon – which was followed by a delay from Valve – the company also reported $16.6 billion in revenue from its datacenter business last year. Team Red's gaming business, on the other hand, brought in $3.9 billion, and that seems like it was largely driven by the custom chips in devices like the Xbox Ally X and the Steam Machine.
Instead, both Nvidia and AMD have been focused on improving the software that runs on their graphics cards. AMD launched FSR Redstone in December 2025, which improves frame generation and ray tracing, while Nvidia launched DLSS 4.5, which gives a noticeable boost to image quality – though with a performance cost.
If both companies are indeed skipping their mid-generation GPU launches, we'll probably have to make do with these software improvements. And while I would prefer to have an RTX 5080 Super that actually performs better than the RTX 4090, I can make do with better upscaling.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
