Nvidia RTX 50 GPUs Appear in Steam Survey, AMD RX 9000 Series Still MIA

The latest Steam Hardware Survey from April 2025 reveals significant shifts in the GPU market, highlighting the performance and adoption of Nvidia’s RTX 50 series GPUs. Despite launching almost four months ago, Nvidia's latest graphics cards are finally making their debut in the survey. Specifically, the RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 have appeared with shares of 0.38%, 0.28%, and 0.38% respectively. The high-end RTX 5090, however, remains absent, likely due to its exorbitant price and limited availability. In contrast, AMD's highly anticipated RX 9000 GPUs, based on the RDNA 4 architecture, continue to be notably absent from the survey. This is particularly puzzling given the reported retail success of the RX 9070 series, which is designed to offer powerful and cost-effective solutions in the mid-range market. Only the AMD RX 7800 XT has made it onto the list, garnering a 0.27% share, matching the RTX 5070 Ti. The survey data suggests that Nvidia's GPUs, despite facing issues such as initial instability, fake MSRPs, and hardware defects, are still widely preferred by gamers. For instance, more Steam users apparently own an RTX 5080 than an RX 6600 XT, a popular AMD mid-range card from the previous generation. This discrepancy may be partly attributed to the higher availability of Nvidia GPUs at retail price points, especially in markets like Europe, where supply issues are less prevalent. Intel's Arc GPUs, except for the integrated "Arc Graphics," remain conspicuously absent from the survey, indicating a minimal impact on the gaming market. This further consolidates Nvidia's dominant position, currently holding a 74.39% share of the GPU market, while AMD trails at 22.82%. The survey also notes Intel's continued lead in the CPU market with a 60.35% share, closely followed by AMD at 33.70%. The absence of AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs in the survey is concerning, especially when considering their reported retail popularity and the significant improvements in performance and efficiency. Industry analysts suggest that the primary issue lies in the insufficient supply of these cards at their official MSRP. Pre-built systems, which often bundle these GPUs at a more reasonable price, seem to be the best option for consumers, but they do not reflect in the survey as individual sales. AMD’s strategy with the RX 9000 series was to target the mainstream market with powerful and cost-effective options. However, the survey data indicates that this goal is hindered by the limited availability of these GPUs at retail prices, which forces many potential buyers to look elsewhere. The budget-oriented 50-series and 60-series GPUs from Nvidia and AMD continue to dominate the survey, reflecting their popularity in the mid-range market where many gamers find the best value. To address the supply issues, AMD is expected to unveil additional mid-range offerings, specifically the RX 9060 XT GPUs, at the upcoming Computex conference. These GPUs are rumored to come in 8GB and 16GB variants, with the former potentially struggling in memory-bound scenarios. Retail availability for these new AMD cards is anticipated by early June, which could help AMD capture a larger market share in the coming months. Industry experts note that the Steam Hardware Survey provides a snapshot of consumer trends and preferences but does not capture the entire gaming market. Nonetheless, the data is crucial for understanding market dynamics and consumer sentiment. They suggest that AMD needs to focus on increasing supply and lowering prices to compete effectively with Nvidia, particularly in the mid-range segment. Additionally, the launch of the RX 9060 XT series could be a pivotal moment for AMD, potentially shifting the balance in the GPU market if they can meet consumer demand. Nvidia's ongoing dominance in the GPU market is supported by their established brand and widespread availability, even amid reported issues with their latest series. The company has a strong track record of resolving stability and defect problems, which may contribute to consumer confidence. In contrast, AMD, while offering competitive hardware, must overcome supply and pricing challenges to gain a stronger foothold. Overall, the April survey underscores the importance of both hardware quality and availability in the gaming market. As AMD prepares to launch new GPUs and Nvidia continues to refine its 50-series, the next few months could bring significant changes to the landscape of consumer graphics options.