Gamers really don't like NVIDIA's RTX 4080 GPU, if Japanese retailers are right

NVIDIA's RTX 4090 is selling well in Japan, a report tells us, but the RTX 4080 is a very different story.

According to the report from Japanese tech site ITMedia (via VideoCardz), which talked to a number of retailers, there is considerable demand for the Lovelace flagship GPU.

One store noted that:

"The demand for RTX 4090 has been constant, but it's becoming a bit difficult to get in stock."

Another retailer observed that it didn't stock many RTX 4080 graphics cards, because these simply aren't popular. Apparently, buyers looking for good high-end performance are plumping for the RTX 4070 Ti, but if they want more, they're leaping to the RTX 4090.

The RTX 4080 appears to be in something of a void in terms of its attractiveness to buyers, in that gamers (or creatives) are swerving it to either go for the Lovelace model below, or the flagship above.

If these comments from retailers are anything to go by - and clearly, we need to apply a good deal of skepticism, as they only represent a small slice of the market - then the RTX 4080 is looking a wobbly value proposition to many.

What's interesting is that in the US, the RTX 4080 has dropped below the MSRP ($1,200) in some cases - you can now get it for $1,100, or even slightly below ($10-$20) that. Whereas the RTX 4070 Ti is still holding at its MSRP of $800, so the gap between the two GPUs in the US has certainly narrowed price-wise.

Which in itself might be a reflection of retailers knocking down pricing a bit where required, with the RTX 4080 not shifting as well as its lesser sibling.

It'll certainly be interesting to see where prices go from here, but if the RTX 4080 continues to struggle in terms of gaining traction to leap off shelves into PCs, as seems to be the case, we might yet see that price chipped down further.