Nvidia introduces RTX 5060 with $299 price tag amid criticism

In the United States, Nvidia has announced the launch date of its latest graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5060, set for May 19, 2025, with a starting price of $299. This new addition aims to capture a portion of the market for budget-to-mainstream gaming builds and follows the release of its predecessor, the RTX 5060 Ti, which launched recently and is available at higher price points. Users can expect some hardware upgrades with the RTX 5060, including an increase in CUDA cores and a shift from GDDR6 to GDDR7 memory, which enhances memory bandwidth. However, the card will be limited by its 8GB of VRAM, a consideration that many analysts and gamers have criticized given the current demands of gaming at higher resolutions. The release of the RTX 5060 comes during a time when the demand for GPUs is extremely high, leading to concerns about availability and potential pricing inflation similar to previous launches. Nvidia has struggled to produce enough units to meet the expectations of consumers, and with the RTX 5060 expected to be priced at $299, the reality may mirror past experiences where cards sold out rapidly, commanding prices that exceed their MSRP. The RTX series has historically influenced the gaming GPU market, making Nvidia's offerings particularly significant in shaping consumer choices. Critiques regarding the 8GB RAM limitation on the RTX 5060 have surfaced from various channels, with many stakeholders expressing disappointment that Nvidia does not appear to be keeping pace with the increasing VRAM requirements of contemporary gaming. Analysts suggest that while the performance of the RTX 5060 may be somewhat comparable to the RTX 3070, this distinction may not be enough to justify its $299 price tag, especially when potential buyers can consider alternative options available in the market. Users are also expressing skepticism about Nvidia's communications and press releases, indicating a growing frustration with corporate marketing practices in the tech industry. As Nvidia prepares to launch the RTX 5060, the company is stepping into a competitive landscape where AMD’s offerings, such as the RX 7900 XTX, have gained traction among users dissatisfied with Nvidia. The successful reception of the RTX 5060 will heavily depend on its market performance post-launch and how well it can sustain its initial pricing against a backdrop of fluctuating GPU pricing. Long-term outcomes will reveal whether Nvidia can assert itself in a gaming landscape that is increasingly dominated by alternatives from AMD and Intel, both of which score higher with their drivers and overall user support.