AMD’s newest graphics card, the Radeon RX 6600 XT, launched on Wednesday. But the product was conspicuously absent at US online retailers.
We expected AMD itself would sell some units on launch day. But as the hours ticked by, the company’s online store remained unchanged — no listing for the RX 6600 XT appeared at all.
A company customer service representative later told us AMD.com wouldn’t be selling the graphics card directly on Wednesday. “You will have to buy third-party cards via other retailers,” the representative added.
However, it seems the card was never up for sale on Amazon or Best Buy. Both retailers merely listed their Radeon RX 6600 XT units as out of stock. Our only chance to snag one came from Newegg. The retailer was offering up 13 different models for the 6600 XT — but they were only obtainable through the company’s controversial raffle system, the Newegg Shuffle.
The other retailer that had the RX 6600 XT in stock was Micro Center. One internet user who visited a Micro Center store on Wednesday posted a picture showing dozens of RX 6600 XT locked behind a glass storage shelf.
According to Tom’s Hardware, the retailer had more than 2,000 units available on launch day. “We certainly did have those in stock at all of our stores this morning,” a Micro Center rep also told PCMag.
Unfortunately, the cards were only available at Micro Center’s physical retail locations, which can only be found in 16 US states. It also seems the units sold out fast. Micro Center’s website is currently listing the various models as out of stock at many of the company's stores.
The underwhelming first-day sales joins the other disappointing graphics card launches from both AMD and Nvidia. Since last fall, the companies have struggled to supply enough product, making the GPUs often insanely difficult to buy amid the demand from PC builders and scalpers. Not helping the matter has been the ongoing chip shortage, which has been constraining supplies.
That said, the Radeon RX 6600 XT may not face as much consumer interest as the other PC graphics cards on the market. The product starts at $379, making it the most affordable entry in AMD’s latest generation of consumer GPUs. However, it's been receiving mediocre reviews from the tech press for its lackluster performance.
Nevertheless, since GPUs remain in short supply, the RX 6600 XT still might see plenty of demand from desperate consumers out to build a PC.