- Nvidia commented on GPU supply issues in a Q&A at CES 2026
- CEO Jensen Huang admitted that bringing back older GeForce GPUs could be a possible solution
- However, a more likely path could be to make new AI technology (elements of DLSS) available for older graphics cards
Nvidia could consider bringing back some older GPUs as part of a strategy to deal with the current supply and pricing pressures around graphics cards – and another option is to bring frame-rate-boosting tech (DLSS and the features therein) to more previous-generation models.
Tom’s Hardware asked Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang directly during a Q&A session at CES 2026.
Our sister site noted the current situation around high prices for gaming GPUs – and supply and production issues associated with the rising cost of video RAM – and then asked Huang: “Do you think that maybe ramping up production on some of the older generation GPUs, on older process nodes where there might be more production capacity available, would help that, or maybe also increase the supply of GPUs that could be specific, are there some steps of GPUs that could be taken colors, or which could be specific could give it to us?”
Huang replied: “Yes, possibly, and we could possibly, depending on which generation, we could also bring the latest generation of AI technology to the previous generation GPUs, and that will require a lot of engineering, but it’s also within the realm of possibility. I’ll come back and take a look at this. It’s a good idea.”
So there are two parts to this answer. First, the CEO acknowledges that it’s a possibility that older models could be resurrected as a stopgap to fill the current gaps in GPU supply that are causing price increases.
Second, the other potential path for Nvidia is to use the “latest generation AI technology” with older series of GeForce graphics cards. And by that, Huang presumably means the exclusive features for RTX 5000 GPUs, as seen with some pieces of the frame-rate boosting puzzle that is DLSS 4 (which just got a bump to DLSS 4.5 at CES 2026).
Analysis: vague and cagey
This is, of course, a cakey answer, and you can almost hear the cogs whirring in the background of Huang’s mind as to exactly how to respond.
Given the preliminary phrasing, it feels more like the idea of firing up production lines to make old GPUs that were previously discontinued is a remote option, honestly. And that a more likely sticking point is to bring DLSS capabilities to more GPUs in an attempt to regain some popularity with the gaming crowd, who are in turn getting the short end of the graphics card price stick thanks to external circumstances beyond their control (the AI boom in this case).
Still, this is at least an admission that the concept of older Nvidia GPUs returning to the fray hasn’t been completely ruled out in theory.
In terms of helping older GeForce cards on the software side, we’ve already seen some movement on that score, with DLSS 4.5 just revealed as mentioned, providing a 2nd generation transformer model for older RTX GPUs. The new transformer model is fully compatible with RTX 4000 as well as RTX 5000 graphics cards, but it works to a lesser extent with RTX 3000 and 2000 GPUs. (Though in the latter case, early tests show it to be significantly less effective at a 20% drop – but that still represents a boost, albeit a more modest increase).
And it highlights the key catch of making cutting-edge AI-powered features available to legacy Nvidia GPUs. Namely, that it’s a lot of work – or as Huang puts it, such an effort “requires quite a bit of engineering” – to get that kind of functionality working okay on previous-generation graphics cards, so it’s a noticeable boost (and no additional wrinkles).
Still, there’s certainly been hope from some quarters that frame generation could eventually come to RTX 3000 models (and Multi Frame Generation may be made available outside of RTX 5000 GPUs), but hardware limitations may prove to be too much of a roadblock to overcome.
Nvidia is at least making some positive noises about potential solutions for now, but it all remains pretty vague. Meanwhile, the prices of Nvidia GPUs are climbing the walls and going through the roof – much like the collective temper of PC gamers – with an RTX 5090 flagship hitting downright ridiculous levels (mirror system RAM). Other models like the RTX 5080 are also being hit hard, and rumors abound of further supply issues to make this situation worse.
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