[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Nvidia's next entry-level graphics card, the RTX 6060, could be released only in 2029, a forecast says.

On Oct. 21, IT outlet TechRadar reported that leaker Kepler expects Nvidia is likely to delay the release of its lower-end lineup, pushing the RTX 6060 far behind the next-generation console launch.

The focus of the forecast is timing. Discussing the competitive landscape between the PlayStation 6 (PS6) and PC graphics cards, Kepler said the RTX 6060 would be released "much later" and that "given the recent trend, it is questionable whether it will even be on par with the PS6". Kepler also said Nvidia tends to drag out the release of low-cost cards if supply shortages emerge, and argued the RTX 6060 is likely to come out in 2029.

If the forecast is correct, the gap between Nvidia's next-generation high-end products and its entry-level lineup will widen. Based on the estimates cited in the report, the RTX 6090, 6080 and 6070 could come out first between early and mid-2028, with the RTX 6060 arriving much later. Kepler's remarks are closer to an estimate than an official schedule.

Memory supply and pricing issues are cited as factors. Next-generation GeForce products are likely to see higher demand for video memory, and RAM prices have already risen sharply since mid-year, with forecasts already circulating that cost increases could be more severe in 2027. If this trend continues into 2028, one scenario is that Nvidia could further delay introducing entry-level GPUs, which are relatively more price-sensitive.

The comparison with the PS6 is also a point of interest. Recently, forecasts among analysts have said Sony's next console is likely to be released in 2028. Some have also mentioned the possibility of a late-2027 launch, but in either case, if the RTX 6060 comes out in 2029, it could arrive later than the PS6.

Performance forecasts are even more uncertain. Kepler said the RTX 6060 might not keep up with the PS6 in gaming frame-rate performance. The report said the current-generation RTX 5060 delivers broadly similar gaming performance to the PlayStation 5 Pro, but that the next generation may not maintain that balance. It also raised concerns that if the video memory configuration is again designed to be insufficient, dissatisfaction among entry-level PC gamers could grow.

Still, it is difficult at this stage to be definitive about the RTX 6060's release year and performance. The PS6 timeline itself is not confirmed, and Nvidia's next-generation GPU strategy could also change depending on memory supply conditions. Ultimately, the key points to watch narrow to the direction of memory prices, Nvidia's release schedule for its higher-end lineup, and whether it will decide to bring entry-level products to market.