Quick Read
- MSI will unveil RTX 5090 Lightning at CES 2026, reviving its high-end overclocking series.
- RTX 5090 is already present in the market, holding 0.60% share among Steam users as of December 2025.
- The RTX 50 series is expanding in desktops and laptops, but rising industry costs are making flagship GPUs more expensive.
On January 5, 2026, MSI will officially re-enter the world of extreme graphics performance at CES with the unveiling of the RTX 5090 Lightning. This move isn’t just about launching a new card—it’s a strategic revival of the company’s iconic “Lightning” series, which once stood as a beacon for uncompromising design and overclocking prowess. The announcement is set against the backdrop of a GPU market undergoing rapid evolution and rising costs, where high-end products have become both technological flagships and status symbols.
But here’s the twist: while MSI is preparing for a dramatic media event, the RTX 5090 itself isn’t new to the market. According to the December 2025 Steam Hardware Survey (Wccftech), NVIDIA’s flagship GPU already holds a 0.60% share among Steam users. That may sound modest, but it’s a clear sign that early adopters have begun to embrace the raw power of the RTX 5090, even before MSI’s custom variant hits the shelves. In fact, its market presence has been steadily climbing—from 0.19% in June 2025, to 0.38% in November, and now to 0.60%.
MSI’s Lightning cards have a storied history, famed for their massive cooling solutions, unlocked power limits, and relentless focus on extreme overclocking. The upcoming RTX 5090 Lightning is expected to push those boundaries even further, with advanced air and water cooling designs (including a triple-slot air cooler with five fans and a HydroCool AIO water-cooled variant), enhanced electrical reserves, and expanded BIOS options. These aren’t features for the average gamer—they’re aimed squarely at enthusiasts and benchmark chasers who demand the absolute best.
The Lightning series’ return after a six-year hiatus (the last model being the RTX 2080 Ti Lightning OC in 2019) signals MSI’s renewed ambition to dominate the premium GPU segment. It’s a calculated move: while these cards won’t be mass-produced, they serve as technological showcases and marketing powerhouses, setting performance standards that ripple across the industry.
Meanwhile, the broader RTX 50 “Blackwell” family is rapidly gaining momentum. The December 2025 Steam survey shows the RTX 5070 leading the Blackwell pack at 3.05%, followed by the RTX 5060 (2.21%), RTX 5070 Ti (1.94%), RTX 5060 Ti (1.74%), and RTX 5080 (1.68%). These numbers reflect a growing appetite for next-gen graphics, as more users upgrade to harness AI-driven rendering and real-time ray tracing.
Competition is heating up, too. AMD’s new RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9070 GPUs have just entered the fray, appearing on the Steam survey with a 0.22% share—still trailing behind NVIDIA’s top-end offering. The battle for GPU dominance is as fierce as ever, and MSI’s Lightning announcement is timed to reinforce its position as a leader in high-performance hardware.
Beyond desktops, the RTX 50 series is branching into laptops as well. LG is set to debut its 2026 LG Gram lineup at CES, including the Gram Pro 17—the world’s lightest 17-inch laptop equipped with an RTX 5050 GPU (VideoCardz). This underscores the series’ versatility and growing integration across platforms.
Yet, all these advances come with a price. The GPU industry is grappling with higher production, packaging, memory, and logistics costs as 2026 begins. For flagship products like the Lightning series, this means retail prices will likely soar, turning these cards into both technological marvels and luxury items.
The RTX 5090’s journey isn’t about mass adoption—it’s about setting a new bar for what’s possible in graphics performance. As MSI prepares its thunderous CES reveal, the real story lies in how high-end GPUs continue to shape the market, balancing innovation, exclusivity, and the relentless drive for speed.
The RTX 5090’s early market traction, coupled with MSI’s strategic Lightning revival, highlights a pivotal moment: the race for premium GPU leadership is intensifying, with innovation and brand prestige taking center stage. As costs rise and competition sharpens, only the boldest players—and their most ambitious products—will define the next chapter in graphics technology.