What was the Hardware Unboxed Nvidia controversy?

The Hardware Unboxed–Nvidia controversy was a 2020 dispute in which Nvidia told the PC hardware review channel Hardware Unboxed that it would stop sending them GeForce Founders Edition review samples because Nvidia felt their coverage did not give enough emphasis to ray tracing and DLSS. Hardware Unboxed published the email and the move was widely criticized as an attempt to pressure independent reviewers. After public backlash, Nvidia apologized and reversed the decision.

In practical terms, the controversy became a major example of tension between GPU manufacturers and reviewers: companies want coverage to highlight strategic features, while reviewers argue they should test and weight products according to what they believe matters most to buyers.