Getting ahold of new technology, especially when the hype is as large as it is for the new line of Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards, is never easy. Whether gamers choose to line up around the block or to furiously mash refresh until they can get through on a retailer site like GameStop, placing a pre-order for any new component or system on day 1 can be a challenge. However, some resellers are making the challenge completely unfair by utilizing bots.
Bots are nothing new in the realm of scooping up available stock before real users can finish placing their purchases. While all the honest buyers see from their end is that the stock has disappeared before they could grab one, resellers hawking the RTX 3080 on eBay for ridiculous prices get a different side of the story.
With 3080 pre-orders closing almost as quickly as they opened, buyers worried that bots were to blame, and that’s now been shown to be true. Resellers who are willing to shell out a little cash every month for a bot can use it to scoop up just about anything that can be purchased online. In the past, this has included things like the Oculus Quest and Nintendo Switch, which have both been in short supply in part due to resellers, but now the RTX 3080 is what resellers are after. The bot, once set up, continuously scans websites for available stock, and when available units or pre-orders are found, it can automatically place an order on behalf of the reseller.
To make matters worse, these bots are supposedly also capable of bypassing Nvidia‘s limit on one purchase per household, making the rush to get one even more difficult. Even with lightning-fast searching skills and a fast internet connection, it’s practically impossible for a legitimate buyer to compete with a computer program. Insult was added to injury when said resellers bragged on social media about how the bot netted them a dozen or more units.
However, there is some hope for those still hoping to get a RTX 3080 at list price. According to PCMag, Nvidia will be reviewing the orders it’s received thus far in an effort to locate mass purchases made by resellers and bots. Whether or not it’s successful remains to be seen, but those who have been locked out of getting a card due to these bots may still get another chance.
Meanwhile, console shoppers don’t have it much easier than their PC gaming kin. These bots are likely being utilized to target the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S pre-order pages, as well. Between the crushing demand from fans and the illicit means resellers are using, finding a functioning website with pre-orders available for more than a second for any of these next-gen gaming devices hasn’t been easy. Hopefully, retailers find a suitable way to block these bots in the future, or to at least restrict them to one purchase like everyone else.
Source: PCMag
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