Beat the Scalpers: How Zotac Sells Bafflingly Affordable RTX 50-series GPUs to Gamers Through its Discord Channel
The Fight Against Scalpers: What’s Being Done to Make Sure You Get the GPU You Want
As we approach the release of the highly anticipated Nvidia RTX 50 series, it’s no surprise that scalpers are already trying to cash in. But, what can be done to prevent them from ripping off gamers? One company, Zotac, may have found a solution.
In a bold move, Zotac is selling their GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090 graphics cards directly to gamers through their Discord community. No bots, no scalpers, just fellow gamers. According to their statement, "we want to reward real gamers and active members by giving you a chance to secure a slot to purchase a Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 or 5090."
But how does it work? To take part, gamers must be active members of the Zotac Gaming Discord community, actively participating in challenges and discussions. Any cheaters or manipulators will be disqualified. While it’s unclear how Zotac selects successful members, it raises questions about how they’ll police access to purchase slots.
The Rise of the "Bot-Race"
The initial excitement about this move has already given way to concerns. As one Redditor observed, "the Discord server is being flooded with new people spamming their way to ‘engagement.’ Feels like a bot-race all over again." The initial ickiness we felt when we first saw this story is echoed in those concerns.
Loyalty Rewarded
However, it’s also been reported that Zotac has created a separate private channel for long-time Discord members to ensure some of them get access to the cards. Fair play to the company for giving loyal users a chance, as long as they genuinely monitor whether those users are indeed long-time fans.
Not a Perfect Solution, but a Step in the Right Direction
No attempt to exclude scalpers is likely to be entirely successful. But this move by Zotac will surely put a few RTX 50 cards into the hands of gamers that would otherwise have been snatched up by bots and flipped for profit.
A More Patient Approach to GPU Buying
Should we really expect every AIB card maker to conduct a similar program? While a labor-intensive way of selling GPUs, it would be nice to see a few more follow suit. As one Redditor wisely noted, "patience is all you need. I got my 4090 about five months after launch, new for $1,600 MSRP. People just need to learn to wait. It ain’t a big deal."
It’s difficult advice to swallow, given our instant gratification addiction. But maybe we all just need to recalibrate our expectations. Instead of viewing GPU release dates as general availability dates, view them as the date from which you can get in line. And if you don’t want to get in line, you don’t have to. It’s not the end of the world.
