nVidia blocks Hardware Unboxed due to rasterization focus. Update: nVidia retracts.

[BFG10K]

Full letter

Spoiler

LTT coverage

My thoughts

I think this is wrong and to be completely fair, I called out this behavior when AMD played similar shenanigans with TPU and Tech Report.

As for the "gamers" comment above, as of right now I don't give a crap about ray tracing, and even less of a crap about DLSS. I own a 2060 Super and never use any of those features by choice, for various reasons. Perhaps in 3-5 years with 2-3 new generations of cards, my opinion might change.

Rasterization is by far the most important feature for me, and I'm not a minority by any stretch of the imagination:

Spoiler

Update: nVidia now retracted

https://twitter.com/x/status/1337885741389471745

I'm not surprised they retracted but I expected it to take longer along with a "it was an internal draft that was never supposed to be released", or similar.

 

[darkswordsman17]

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint. Saying things like RT is not worth it in any game, or preferring 90FPS in a game like Watch Dogs, or saying that 1080p is not relevant because I've been using a 1440p monitor for a decade is not required at all.

I disagree. They tell you why they feel like they do, and you're free to do with that what you want. There's a lot of reviewers that have strong feelings that don't tell you them, and it absolutely skews their reviews.

Plus...uh, wasn't Nvidia showing 540p upscaling? If AMD suddenly said "look at how high our FPS is if we go to 540p" you'd be saying how silly that is seeing how almost everyone has a 1080p or higher display these days.

 

[Glo.]

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint. Saying things like RT is not worth it in any game, or preferring 90FPS in a game like Watch Dogs, or saying that 1080p is not relevant because I've been using a 1440p monitor for a decade is not required at all.

That is called: "Free Speech".

 

[coercitiv]

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint. Saying things like RT is not worth it in any game, or preferring 90FPS in a game like Watch Dogs, or saying that 1080p is not relevant because I've been using a 1440p monitor for a decade is not required at all.

We'd also be better off without reviewers telling us DLSS looks better than native or that RT is a joy to look at. They should all just measure and report quantitative data, with no qualitative reporting whatsoever. /s

 

[maddie]

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint. Saying things like RT is not worth it in any game, or preferring 90FPS in a game like Watch Dogs, or saying that 1080p is not relevant because I've been using a 1440p monitor for a decade is not required at all.

Feel free to start your own YT site, who knows, there might be a legion of like minded gamers willing to watch you. The point is that they have a substantial audience. If, as you say, they state irrelevancies, then explain that audience. It's obvious many like their videos.

 

[CP5670]

It's a ridiculous response from Nvidia, and hurts their own image more than anything else. The "Director of Global PR" is probably some mid-level bureaucrat who might be axed by JHH now.

That being said, I will buy whatever product best suits my needs and ignore any PR nonsense. Nvidia's behavior is more stupid than evil, and as said earlier AMD has done this type of thing in the past too. They all want to maximize their profits at the end of the day.

 

[maddie]

What about free choice of whom to send a free card to?

Sure, but Nvidia is seeing that this comes with a price when writing such a message to an established partner. Some think that "There is no such thing as bad publicity", but I don't think it'll work out this way for Nvidia.

 

[Heartbreaker]

Full letter:

Spoiler

I'm kind of in shock that the Director of PR would be this clueless about ... PR.

Is he looking to invoke some kind of golden parachute termination clause in his contract.

Wow. Epic fail from a high level.

 

[swilli89]

That is called: "Free Speech".

Hilarious that guy is bending over backwards to paint HU as biased when it doesn't even matter if they are biased or not. It's completely besides the point.

Nvidia's email is absolutely disgusting and pathetic. Reeks of fear and emotional desperation. They are attempting to affect the man's livelyhood itself because of a perceived bias.

Should AMD now blacklist tech powerful for consistently having amd cards do worse than most other publications?

No one can defend or explain Nvidia's action, nor should they try. It should be universal condemnation even from that fanboy in this thread doing backflips trying to do damage control.

 

[coercitiv]

What about free choice of whom to send a free card to?

The choice of sending them free cards is not the problem. The message attached to this choice was the problem: change your editorial stance and you get free cards back.

Nvidia should be allowed to start/stop sending free cards to anyone they wish. They should not be allowed to barter free cards for favorable reviews.

 

[darkswordsman17]

The fact that ANYBODY would try to justify Nvidia's actions is beyond stupidity.

Reviewers, independent media are untouchable by any company. First, Nvidia's action violates Free Speech, because their general thought from the e-mail is very simple: "Either you obey, and review our products WE want to be reviewed, or you do not get our hardware for reviews". That in itself violates Free Speech.

Secondly. Its not Nvidia's business the review methods any reviewer uses if the end result is fair for the product.

HUB's review methodology, setups doesn't point into picture that would the case for Nvidia product reviews.

Its genuinely disgusting.

Eh, stop with that free speech nonsense as Nvidia is not violating anyone's freedom of speech. Both are private entities and Nvidia is free to not send hardware to that entity, and that entity is free to trash Nvidia for their behavior.

Absolutely it is coercive and deserves to be called out and condemned.

Actually that's literally part of their business. If you were a company would you give hardware to reviewers that you didn't think were fair? Now, obviously their view of fairness is skewed and their attempts at coercing them to agree is obviously poorly thought out and deserves skorn, but acting like its not part of the business is just silly. Should AMD send review units to that website that kept reworking their methods in order to keep claiming Intel as superior? Would you condemn them if they called out such behavior?

I agree.

Ditto.

It's ok saying how bad they are, they are not going to lose sleep or custom from it, i don't think people here seem to understand this...

You seem pretty insistent that will be the case for something that you don't think matters or will change anything.

 

[MetalH2600]

You seem pretty insistent that will be the case for something that you don't think matters or will change anything.

The correct term is passionate, obsessive and arrogant self assured as i seem to think i know better, but sometimes i do.

 

[tamz_msc]

That is called: "Free Speech".

Sure and NVIDIA is a private entity, so if they decide not to send review samples to someone because their opinions do not align with theirs, it's not a violation of free speech like you suggest.

 

[uzzi38]

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint. Saying things like RT is not worth it in any game, or preferring 90FPS in a game like Watch Dogs, or saying that 1080p is not relevant because I've been using a 1440p monitor for a decade is not required at all.

That's a horrible, horrible take. The entire point of a review is to get the both the objective facts and subjective feelings from the reviewer, because not all qualities about any product can be expressed solely by fact alone.

 

[tamz_msc]

We'd also be better off without reviewers telling us DLSS looks better than native or that RT is a joy to look at. They should all just measure and report quantitative data, with no qualitative reporting whatsoever. /s

RT and DLSS is subjective, but saying things that 1080p is outdated or that one must have 90FPS in a certain game else its sub-optimal is completely unwarranted.

 

[tamz_msc]

That's a horrible, horrible take. The entire point of a review is to get the both the objective facts and subjective feelings from the reviewer, because not all qualities about any product can be expressed solely by fact alone.

So you don't find anything to object to in these observations? Especially that RT isn't worth it in ANY game, or that 1080p is outdated because he's been using 1440p for a decade?

 

[MetalH2600]

So you don't find anything to object to in these observations? Especially that RT isn't worth it in ANY game, or that 1080p is outdated because he's been using 1440p for a decade?

You are right, but he did admit to his biases right towards the end of the video.
He is not trying to paint a picture, more so present with honesty, he is only human like anyone else and not all humans can switch their mind into fully non biased and objective mind sets, to do so misses a lot and lies to ourselves as we are subjective creatures.

 

[coercitiv]

RT and DLSS is subjective, but saying ...

No buts, here's what you just wrote minutes ago:

They'd be better off without including personal opinions on how a game's performance or visuals ought to be from the end-user's standpoint.

You have made a clear argument against reviewers discussing qualitative RT and DLSS data. Stick with your story or admit HUB is allowed to have opinions on gaming experience.

 

[sandorski]

Reviewers are not the PR Dept of Nvidia.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I can trash NV's rep for half of what their head of PR is getting paid. Hire me NV.

If NV went with a simple "Due to supply shortages NV will no longer sample review units with the following publications to ensure greater availability for our loyal fans and customers: Hardware Unboxed" it would be clear as day what they were doing while still maintaining plausible deniability and even putting a tongue in cheek spin on things.

Not that it would be OK, but at least PR is doing actual PR.

Honestly, this latest gen of cards from AMD or NV we're never really... In the cards... For me as even the 3060Ti is on the outside range of what I'm willing to pay for just about anything. As such, I can claim I'm boycotting NV's products for this, despite having no intention of buying new to begin with.

Picking up a used 2080 Ti or 2080S on steep discount after prices settle next year will be my likeliest play so I stiget the performance I want, at a price I'm comfortable with, without having my Money go to NV.

 

[tamz_msc]

You have made a clear argument against reviewers discussing qualitative RT and DLSS data. Stick with your story or admit HUB is allowed to have opinions on gaming experience.

Nowhere have I stated that reviewers shouldn't discuss RT and DLSS qualitatively. However HUB's Steve dismisses RT and DLSS from their GPU reviews and that is a fact. You covering for them by linking a video of Tim discussing RT and DLSS in Cyberpunk doesn't change the reality.

And no, I don't want hot takes like 1080p is outdated or Watch Dogs ought to be played at 90FPS in a GPU review, especially a GPU review covering a $400 card.

 

[Mopetar]

So you don't find anything to object to in these observations? Especially that RT isn't worth it in ANY game, or that 1080p is outdated because he's been using 1440p for a decade?

I think that right now and likely for the foreseeable future RT is massively overblown and not worth the performance hit so it doesn't bother me one bit. Other people think it's amazing and that they can't do without it. I don't agree with their opinion, but how can anyone be wrong about their own opinion?

There's nothing objective to object to and any objections you might have are due to your own subjective feelings and opinions. Expecting everyone to share your opinions and treating any that differ from your own as somehow objectionable is rather childish.

 

[tamz_msc]

I think that right now and likely for the foreseeable future RT is massively overblown and not worth the performance hit so it doesn't bother me one bit. Other people think it's amazing and that they can't do without it. I don't agree with their opinion, but how can anyone be wrong about their own opinion?

There's nothing objective to object to and any objections you might have are due to your own subjective feelings and opinions. Expecting everyone to share your opinions and treating any that differ from your own as somehow objectionable is rather childish.

OK so you find RT massively overblown. Fine. But why then state things like 1080p is outdated just because he personally doesn't use that resolution?

 

[pj-]

RT and DLSS is subjective, but saying things that 1080p is outdated or that one must have 90FPS in a certain game else its sub-optimal is completely unwarranted.

How is it unwarranted? It's an opinion, and I 100% agree with him. People who think 1080p 60fps is sufficient can find a different reviewer with a different perspective.

 

[tamz_msc]

How is it unwarranted? It's an opinion, and I 100% agree with him. People who think 1080p 60fps is sufficient can find a different reviewer with a different perspective.

It's a minority opinion in case of an open-world game with RT reflections in this case where the card under discussion costs $400.

And saying things like 1080p 60fps is insufficient reeks of PCMR elitism.

 

[pj-]

It's a minority opinion in case of an open-world game with RT reflections in this case where the card under discussion costs $400.

Ok? Minority opinions are not allowed?

And saying things like 1080p 60fps is insufficient reeks of PCMR elitism.

It's not 2015 anymore

4k tvs are dirt cheap, the new consoles are doing 1440p 120fps / 4k 60

1080p / 60 is outdated