Gamers have a new route to getting hold of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 or RTX 5080, thanks to the GPU maker itself. In an effort to beat scalpers, Nvidia has just relaunched its Verified Priority Access program for active Nvidia account holders, inviting users to buy a new graphics card from the company directly. However, only a “limited” number will be able to buy a new RTX 50-series card this way, with the scheme also limited to just one country.
Nvidia launched a similar program back during the early days of the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080, when the launch of those GPUs was also affected by stock availability issues. While the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are now the best graphics cards you can buy, not enough gamers have been able to get their hands on one, with extremely limited stock levels since launch day.
That limited availability is precisely why Nvidia is bringing back its Verified Priority Access program. In a statement on the Nvidia GeForce community forum, an Nvidia representative explained that the company is well aware that “it’s challenging to purchase a GeForce RTX 50 series graphics card” and, as a result, it was bringing back this anti-scalping measure.
The Verified Priority Access scheme will be open to U.S. residents with an Nvidia account created on (or before) January 30, 2025 at 6AM PST, the launch date and time for these two gaming GPUs. Interested gamers will need to register their interest through this form to be eligible to buy either an RTX 5090 or RTX 5080.
In the post, Nvidia confirms that users will be notified via the email address attached to their Nvidia account, with invites set to roll out next week. There’s no information about how many cards will be available to customers, but we’d expect this to be a highly subscribed program, so if you’re eligible, get your application in quickly.
While this is great news for those chosen, with those gamers getting the chance to purchase a new RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 at the MSRP directly from Nvidia, only a “limited” number will be invited. That means that the majority of gamers – especially those outside of the United States – will need to continue to look elsewhere for their next gaming GPU.
If you’re hunting for the new Nvidia flagship yourself, our where to buy 5090 stock guide receives daily updates for the latest stock from major retailers. You can also check out our where to buy 5080 guide for similar updates on RTX 5080 stock.
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