Any PC gamer will be aware of the current situation with the lack of graphics cards available. Even though the issues surrounding it mainly affect PC builders and those interested in the hardware, its branching effects also mean that a further audience – such as those interested in the latest generation of consoles – are affected. The recent lockdowns saw people retreating to entertainment available from home such as gambling at online casino Canada, but for PC enthusiasts, they did not have as much luck. For those unaware of the situation, last year saw the release of the hotly anticipated new generation of graphics cards – the tech that powers and runs video games on consoles and computers. Due to increased consumer demand, they went out of stock – everywhere.
Gamers are the main audience that was affected by the shortage of graphics cards as they need that technology to play their games. Some had already sold their old graphics cards in anticipation of the new line coming out and were caught in the awkward position of not being able to purchase one soon after. Whilst the supply of graphics card was expected to resolve itself, this expectation grew from a month to a few months and even longer. Fast forward to the present day, and supply levels are not expected to return to normal until well into next year.
It should be noted that it is possible to buy graphics cards though. If money is no object, then they are widely available, but that is where the issue lies. ‘Scalpers’, people who buy large amounts of stock of a product and then resell it at an inflated price have plagued the graphics card market and slithered into the fray since day one. Because they know there is no stock available to buy from the manufacturer or retailers, they can charge a hefty premium for the privilege of owning a graphics card. One only must look to eBay to see how much the cards go for. In January, it was unsurprising to see cards marked up by 400% of their original value, a figure that is indicative of the problem at large. The result of this is that an estimated $61.5 million have been earned by scalpers, at the cost of gamers that hesitantly fork out the cash demanded by them. Fortunately, things seem to be changing.
On eBay, the prices of cards seem to have dropped down to more reasonable levels, though they are still vastly overpriced. In the German graphics card market, prices have declined from three times their asking price in May to nearly double their retail value. The fall in price shows that steadily, consumer demand is beginning to match supply and heralds a return to normality soon. The reopening of silicon-producing factories that were closed by the pandemic no doubt has had a part to play in this increase in production.
While the situation has been excruciating for those who wanted to get a graphics card last year, it seems that the wait could soon be over. All it will take is a bit more patience and a refusal to fill scalpers wallets.
