Nvidia and Others Just Pulled the Curtain on New Chips

It’s been one of the most eventful CES (Consumer Electronics Show) events in years, thanks in part to the AI boom, which holds tremendous promise in 2026. With various big names in the tech world touting 2026 as a year of “physical AI” or robotics, we might be on the cusp of the most interesting turn in the AI boom.

Of course, whether the rise of robotics gives the same feeling of awe as trying ChatGPT for the first time just over three years ago remains the big question. If Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) CEO Jensen Huang thinks that physical AI will give us a “ChatGPT moment,” though, I think it’s worth taking the man’s word for it. Indeed, putting one’s trust in Jensen Huang has been a profoundly profitable endeavor in recent years. And my guess is listening to Jensen’s words will continue to pay dividends, even as the stakes grow higher in this AI revolution.

Of course, it’s easy to dismiss Nvidia stock as a bubble on the cusp of bursting, given Michael Burry has taken aim at the GPU juggernaut. And while Michael Burry is confident that AI is in a bubble that will burst, it seems like many investors will only believe it when it happens. 

In any case, CES 2026 saw a handful of cool robots and gadgets, and partnerships (most notably the teaming up of Google DeepMind with Boston Dynamics), but what investors probably found most exciting was the slate of new hardware that Nvidia and other chipmakers pulled the curtain on. Undoubtedly, investors gained a glimpse into Nvidia’s latest Vera and Rubin hardware, which is already in “full production” at the time of the CES 2026 event.

Nvidia’s Vera Rubin steals the show

As the AI revolution heats up, Vera Rubin is going to be that massive driver for Nvidia as it seeks to retain its lead over its Magnificent Seven rivals in the market-cap standings. Undoubtedly, investors probably weren’t expecting updates from the next generation of Nvidia chips this soon in the year. While shares of Nvidia have reacted positively to the sooner-than-expected news of what’s to come, they’re still nowhere close to a breakout.

The new line of six chips is expected to cut inference token costs by up to 10 times compared to Blackwell and GPUs for MoE training by 4 times. That’s not just a nice upgrade; it might be a necessary one for the big AI spenders.

With Vera Rubin not poised to become available until the year’s second half, Nvidia stock has several months to go before the biggest catalyst of the year kicks in. And even when it hits the open market, there’s no guarantee that Nvidia stock will break out. For now, analysts sound quite bullish in response to Nvidia’s CES showing, and they’re right to be. Amid increased AI skepticism and what’s sure to be a long next couple of months for Nvidia shareholders as they wait for Vera Rubin, there’s no telling whether it’ll be the bulls or the bears (like Burry) who will be proven right.

Either way, the combination of Blackwell and Rubin is expected to power $500 billion worth of AI demand. That’s impressive, but perhaps not impressive enough to fuel another leg higher. Pending a quarter that shocks investors again, Nvidia stock might not be the timeliest of the chip plays right here.

Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Qualcomm also had a strong showing

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) also pulled the curtain on new AI chips, which also offered significant performance and efficiency gains. Whether we’re talking about the latest Ryzen AI chips, Intel’s Panther Lake, or the interesting slate of consumer PC chips, there was a lot to absorb at CES.

Perhaps the biggest reveal came from AMD, which, according to CEO Lisa Su, is “just starting to realize the power of AI.” As impressive as Nvidia’s spot in CES was, AMD stock might just have what it takes to outperform Nvidia again in 2026.