Nvidia will reportedly skip new gaming GPU releases in 2026, marking the first time in decades the chipmaker has paused its consumer graphics roadmap. The decision affects both the planned RTX 50 Super refresh and pushes the next-generation RTX 60 series beyond 2027.
According to reports from The Information cited by multiple tech publications, Nvidia executives made the call in December to prioritize AI accelerators over consumer graphics cards. The company faces a global memory shortage that has forced difficult allocation decisions across its product lines.
Nvidia's gaming revenue now represents a shrinking portion of its business. While gaming accounted for 35 percent of revenue in 2022, that figure dropped to just 8 percent by 2025. Meanwhile, data center sales driven by AI chips reached $51.2 billion out of Nvidia's total $57 billion in Q3 2026 earnings.
The memory crisis stems from AI servers consuming available DRAM supply, leaving limited capacity for consumer products.
according to industry reports.Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra acknowledged memory markets will "remain tight past 2026,"
Nvidia has reportedly completed design work for the RTX 50 Super refresh but deprioritized the launch. The company is also scaling back production of current RTX 50 series cards, which aligns with limited retail availability across multiple regions.
The RTX 60 series faces similar delays. Originally targeting mass production by late 2027, the next-generation graphics cards could now slip into 2028. This extends the typical product cycle and creates longer gaps between GeForce generations.
Nvidia's strategic shift reflects the financial reality of its business transformation. AI chips deliver approximately 65 percent profit margins compared to 40 percent for gaming graphics cards. The company's data center segment now represents roughly 90 percent of total revenue.
Industry analysts note that memory manufacturers SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron have all committed to building new memory fabs, but these facilities won't alleviate supply constraints until at least 2027. The AI boom continues to dominate semiconductor capacity allocation.
For PC gamers, the delays mean fewer upgrade options and potentially higher prices for existing hardware. Nvidia's RTX 5090 already commands premium pricing, with third-party listings reaching $4,438 despite a $1,999 MSRP.
The company may release DLSS Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation in April 2026 as a software-based performance enhancement while hardware updates remain on pause. This technology could provide temporary relief for gamers awaiting new GPU architectures.
Nvidia's gaming pause represents a fundamental shift in the company's priorities. What began as a graphics card manufacturer has transformed into an AI platform provider, with consumer products taking a backseat to data center demands.
This comes as Nvidia faces other business challenges including export restrictions on AI chips to China.
The memory shortage shows no signs of immediate resolution, suggesting 2026 could become a year focused on sustaining existing RTX 50 supply rather than expanding the product stack. Gamers may need to wait until 2028 for meaningful hardware advancements from Nvidia's consumer division.
