The Japanese market suffers shortage of high-end graphics cards
The technology district of Akihabara in Tokyo, a key thermometer for global hardware, shows an availability crisis. The most important distributors cannot keep units of the most expensive GPUs on their shelves, a situation that persists and frustrates buyers. 🎮
Inventories empty in minutes
According to local reports, it is common practice for stores to limit how many cards a person can purchase. New shipments arrive infrequently and, when they do, stocks of models like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX disappear almost immediately upon opening the boxes. Retailers operate without certainty about when they will receive more products from their suppliers.
Direct consequences for the user:- Gamers looking to upgrade their setups for demanding titles face endless waiting lists.
- Professionals who need graphics power for rendering or designing see their projects paralyzed.
- The stock turnover is so fast that it prevents stores from offering availability guarantees.
Getting one of these cards now requires more luck and reflexes than defeating a final boss in a video game.
An imbalance between wanting to buy and being able to stock
The core of the problem is a persistent imbalance: the number of people wanting to acquire these components far exceeds what the distribution channel can supply. This phenomenon, though known, has intensified for the latest generation of hardware, turning the hunt for a GPU into an epic mission for enthusiasts.
Factors prolonging the shortage:- The global supply chain continues to present bottlenecks, with no clear resolution dates.
- Japanese distributors do not receive concrete information about upcoming shipments from the factory.
- The Japanese market, with high technological demand, is especially vulnerable to these disruptions.
Frustration on both sides of the counter
The uncertainty affects not only customers. Retailers cannot plan their business or promise deliveries, which damages their relationship with their buyer base. This situation suggests