AMD and Nvidia Shift CES Focus to AI, Leaving Consumers Behind

Key Takeaways

1. AMD and Nvidia had limited offerings for gamers at CES 2026, with no new GPUs announced.
2. Both companies heavily focused on artificial intelligence during their keynotes, with AMD mentioning “AI” 214 times and Nvidia 136 times.
3. The term “gaming” was absent from Nvidia’s keynote and mentioned only three times by AMD and Intel, indicating a shift away from consumer interests.
4. The emphasis on AI is negatively affecting the consumer market, leading to rising prices for memory, storage, and potential GPU price increases.
5. The outlook for consumers in 2026 appears bleak, with concerns about potential market pullbacks from companies like SK Hynix in the DRAM and NAND sectors.

While CES 2026 showcased a variety of innovative tech, especially in gaming and multimedia laptops, it was disappointing to see that AMD and Nvidia had little to offer gamers. Nvidia, for example, only introduced DLSS 4.5 and didn’t present any new GPUs, not even any minor updates like the RTX 50 Super cards. AMD, on the other hand, launched the Ryzen AI 400 APUs, additional Ryzen AI Max+ chips, and the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, but these processors didn’t bring any new architectures or integrated graphics options.

AI Takes Center Stage

At CES 2026, both AMD and Nvidia primarily focused on artificial intelligence. According to 3DCenter, AMD mentioned “AI” a whopping 214 times during its 114:2-minute keynote, averaging 1.87 mentions per minute. Nvidia was not far behind, with “AI” appearing 136 times in its 85:04-minute presentation, which averages to 1.6 per minute. In contrast, Intel performed better, only using the term 55 times at a rate of 1.33 times per minute.

The Absence of Gaming

Interestingly, the term “gaming” was missing entirely from Nvidia’s keynote, while it only surfaced three times in the presentations from AMD and Intel. This shows a clear shift in focus from consumer interests to AI, which is unfortunate for companies that built their reputations on catering to everyday consumers, gamers, and DIY enthusiasts.

Even though AMD, Nvidia, and Intel are companies that must prioritize profits for their stakeholders, the heavy emphasis on AI is negatively impacting the consumer market. This focus has resulted in skyrocketing prices for memory and storage, potential increases in GPU prices, and more.

A Gloomy Outlook

Sadly, it doesn’t seem like conditions will get better anytime soon. In fact, 2026 might turn out to be worse for consumers, especially with rumors circulating that SK Hynix might pull out of the consumer DRAM and NAND sectors.

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