An Nvidia community manager recently announced on the GeForce forums that the company is testing a new programme called “verified priority access.” The programme will allow some potential buyers to reserve a GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card without the commotion that can sometimes be required to obtain a new GPU.
As VideoCardz correctly pointed out, the programme is similar to EVGA’s Elite Priority Access system, which provided “Elite” members with 24 hours of exclusive early access to the company’s new products. Users who were active in the company’s forums and Twitch streams, or who had recently purchased and registered EVGA products, were eligible for Elite status.
Those who have been invited to participate in the programme will receive a notification within the GeForce Experience app with a unique URL to complete their purchase. It’s unclear how Nvidia will decide who will get this notification. According to the post, Best Buy in the United States, Scan in the United Kingdom, NBB in Germany and the Netherlands, and LDLC in France, Italy, and Spain are currently being tested.
The programme is most likely an attempt to address one-day availability issues. Flagship Nvidia cards frequently sell out immediately after release and become difficult to find in the months that follow. If this system is successful, it should ensure that at least some Founders Edition models reach gamers rather than scalpers immediately after launch.
