People Are Already Camping Out for an Nvidia RTX 5090, Despite Retailer Warning About the January Cold

The highly anticipated launch of Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs on January 30th has ignited a frenzy among gamers. Our RTX 5090 review hailed it as the fastest consumer graphics card available, fueling intense excitement. Despite the hefty price tags—$2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080—demand is sky-high. However, reports suggest extremely limited stock, with one UK retailer claiming to have only single-digit quantities of the RTX 5090.

This scarcity has led to an unusual sight: campers have set up tents outside a Micro Center store in Tustin, California, days before the launch. Images circulating on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel show multiple tents occupied by individuals awaiting the release. While some speculate these are scalpers, at least one camper has publicly stated their intention to purchase the card for personal use, citing a desire to avoid inflated aftermarket prices. Reports indicate a growing number of campers, with up to ten tents and approximately 24 people present at the time of writing.

Micro Center, in a YouTube video, discouraged this camping, advising against braving the cold January weather. Their launch strategy involves a first-come, first-served voucher system, offering no choice of specific GPU model. Only one card per customer will be sold. Despite discouraging camping, Micro Center still recommends early arrival to secure a purchase.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

5 Images

This isn't unprecedented; YouTuber Austin Evans documented a similar scene at the same Tustin location during the RTX 3070 launch in 2020.