Barring some unmentioned technological delay, AMD's slower launch is likely a strategic move to ensure the Gemini doesn't arrive significantly before VR – allowing a period for consumers to forget about the product. There's also concern of yield and availability, something AMD struggled with when selling its Fury X; a delay would allow more stockpiling prior to retail, hopefully avoiding a repeat of the Fury X's nigh-perpetual inaccessibility during launch.
We're curious whether this move will push close enough to the newer architectures that AMD may risk its market viability, particularly with Pascal and Greenland on the horizon. Even still, a 2Q16 launch should be soon enough that the card remains the 'new kid' on the market for a short period.
- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.
