A bunch of new games are RT-only. Nvidia has aggressively marketed on the idea that RT, FG, and DLSS are "must haves" in game engines and that 'raster is the past'. Resolution is also a big jump. 4K 120Hz in HDR is rapidly becoming common and the displays are almost affordable (esp. so for TV-based gaming).
In fact, as of today, Even the very fastest RTX 4090 cannot run CP2077 at max non-RT settings and 4K at 120fps.
Now, I do agree that $1000 is plenty for 95% of gamers, but for those who want the best, Nvidia is pretty clearly holding out intentionally. The gap between a 4080TI and a 4090 is GIANT. Check this great comparison from Tom's Hardware: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BAGV2GBMHHE4gkb7ZzTxwK-120...
The biggest next-up offering leap on the chart is 4090.
I'm an ex-gamer, pretty recent ex-, and I own 4070Ti currently (just to show I'm not a grumpy GTX guy). Max settings are nonsensical. You never want to spend 50% of frame budget on ASDFAA x64. Lowering AA alone to barely noticeable levels makes a game run 30-50% faster*. Anyone who chooses a graphics card may watch benchmarks and basically multiply FPS by 1.5-2 because that's what playable settings will be. And 4K is a matter of taste really, especially in "TV" segment where it's a snakeoil resolution more than anything else.
* also you want to ensure your CPU doesn't C1E-power-cycle every frame and your frametimes don't look like EKG. There's much more to performance tuning than just buying a $$$$$ card. It's like installing a V12 engine into a rusted fiat. If you want performance, you want RTSS, AB, driver settings, bios settings, then 4090.
Now, I do agree that $1000 is plenty for 95% of gamers, but for those who want the best, Nvidia is pretty clearly holding out intentionally. The gap between a 4080TI and a 4090 is GIANT. Check this great comparison from Tom's Hardware: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BAGV2GBMHHE4gkb7ZzTxwK-120...
The biggest next-up offering leap on the chart is 4090.