We now know why AMD chose to delay RDNA 4 — well, kind of

AMD hasn’t been very forthcoming when it comes to information about its RX 9000 series GPUs, but we just got an update as to why the cards won’t be available until sometime in March. The company cites software optimization and FSR 4 as the two reasons why it most likely decided to delay the launch of RDNA 4. But is that all there is to it, or is AMD waiting to see some of Nvidia’s best graphics cards before pulling the trigger on the RX 9070 XT?

The update comes from David McAfee, AMD’s vice president and general manager of the Ryzen CPU and Radeon graphics division. A couple of days ago, McAfee took to X (Twitter) to announce that AMD was excited to launch the RX 9000 series in March. This caused a bit of an uproar, with many enthusiasts wondering why AMD was choosing to wait so long.

I really appreciate the excitement for RDNA4.  We are focused on ensuring we deliver a great set of products with Radeon 9000 series.  We are taking a little extra time to optimize the software stack for maximum performance and enable more FSR 4 titles.  We also have a wide range…

— David McAfee (@McAfeeDavid_AMD) January 22, 2025

McAfee now explains that AMD is “taking a little extra time to optimize the software stack for maximum performance and enable more FSR 4 titles.” While a bit vague, this confirms what many leakers have been saying: RDNA 4 is ready hardware-wise, but now, AMD seems eager to improve it on the software side. While not a bad approach, it does feel like there might be more to it.

After all, the GPUs have been spotted with preorders opening on January 22, and several retailers appear to already have them in stock. McAfee admits as much, saying: “We also have a wide range of partners launching Radeon 9000 series cards, and while some have started building initial inventory at retailers, you should expect many more partner cards available at launch.”

There are more signs pointing to the fact that AMD may have had other plans for the release date of RDNA 4. VideoCardz spotted a Reddit ad posted by the official AMD account, and the ad clearly states that the GPUs are available, saying: “When the stakes are high, every play counts — play now with the ultimate performance of AMD Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards.” It also gives us a closer look at the RX 9070 XT in its Made By AMD (MBA) design.

If late January was the initial plan for the RX 9000 series, it’s clear that AMD pulled back. Greater availability for FSR 4 titles and improved drivers are both good reasons to delay, but it’s possible that AMD might also want to see how Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti will fare when it (most likely) hits the market in February.

There’s one good thing here, though, and that’s GPU availability. McAfee implies there’ll be plenty of RDNA 4 cards to go around, which is great, especially considering that Nvidia’s RTX 50-series might be very hard to come by at launch.