Let’s face it, the PS5’s refueling situation over the past four months has been nothing short of a disaster – and it looks like the situation is only going to get worse.
For those who don’t know, there is currently a global shortage of semiconductors delaying electronics manufacturing, and that shortage of chips is now reaching a critical point.
“There is a perfect storm of supply and demand factors going on here. But, basically, there is a new level of demand that cannot be met, everyone is in crisis and is getting worse ”, says technology analyst Neil Campling (via The Guardian).
The heart of the matter is that scarcity extends far beyond the gaming world. It is impacting the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including TVs, phones and even vehicles. With so many sectors competing for a limited supply of chips, significant pressure is being placed on the supply lines.
We’ve already seen Samsung effectively cancel the Galaxy Note 21 this year due to the shortage of chips, which really demonstrates the scale of the problem. Companies around the world are being forced to readjust their launch schedules and sales expectations in light of this increasingly worse situation.
Sony said last month that it may not reach the sales target it had set for 2021, not because of a lack of demand, but of supply. Likewise, Phil Spencer of Microsoft previously suggested that Xbox Series X stock issues would continue in the second half of the year.
Do not hold your breath so that the chip shortage will be resolved soon. According to Campling, “there is no sign that supply is increasing or decreasing demand, while prices are rising throughout the chain”.
Campling also makes the grim prediction that this rising cost will soon be passed on to consumers, with technology products like the iPhone 13 likely receiving a price increase to offset the financial burden of purchasing semiconductors.
We certainly don’t expect Sony or Microsoft to retroactively raise the cost of the PS5 and Xbox Series X – but if you expected to see any sales or discounts on any next-generation machine this year, brace yourself for disappointment.
Although the supply lines are clearly limited and have looked like this for some time, we are still doing everything we can to make purchasing a PS5 as smooth as possible. We have a number of tips for each retailer, as well as a dedicated place to buy a PS5 hub to track the latest information as we get it.