Next-gen console hunters might have to continue relying on stock notification bots and console trackers as AMD warned the public that the chip shortages for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S will continue until mid-2021.
AMD Warns of Chip Shortage
According to TechRadar, the news came from AMD chief executive herself, Dr Lisa Su, during the company's fourth quarter and full year 2020 results.
Although the console chips have brought in $1.28 billion, Su expects that there will remain "tightness" throughout the first half of the year until they can bring back production capacity in full force.
The COVID-19 pandemic is seen as the primary reason behind all the chip production delays, given that factories are unable to operate at 100% capacity to avoid community transmission of the disease.
Based on the report, both next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft rely on custom chips, the Zen 2-based CPU and the RDNA 2-based GPUs, which are produced by AMD.
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Difficulty in Securing a Console
Due to the difficulty in producing the chips, the overall production of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S also remains tight, which means the stocks they can put out are also limited, making it hard for console hunters to secure a unit of their choice.
Any restocks from game retailers would be immediately checked out by gaming enthusiasts who would wait for days on end, glued to their computer, for a single unit.
Moreover, scalpers and bots make it even harder to secure a PS5 or an Xbox Series X/S, leading to further frustration from consumers, who have waited for the consoles since their release in November 2020.
Nevertheless, it had been rather expected to see continued console shortage and delay in production.
Microsoft and Sony Break Sales Records
Microsoft has previously warned Xbox enthusiasts that supply for both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will remain "constrained" until March 31, although they have recorded their "most successful launch" in history.
Microsoft Executive Vice President of Gaming Phil Spencer has acknowledged the shortage earlier this month in a podcast, as per CNN, and said that he is working AMD's Su to push out more supply for their consumers.
"I was on the phone last week with (CEO) Lisa Su at AMD (asking), 'How do we get more? How do we get more?' So it's something that we're constantly working on," Spencer said during the podcast. "We got the consoles launched - wish we had more of them, we're selling out too quickly."
The Microsoft exec also guaranteed they are trying to build the consoles as fast as they can as a response to some analysts saying both companies have intentionally limited productions for maximum profit.
Sony, the company behind PlayStation 5, has also boasted similar record-breaking sales from PS5, despite the continuous shortage.
Anytime retailers would restock PS5 supplies, they wouldn't last hours before they are all gone.
Consumers have been strictly buying online to prevent pickups in physical stores to help observe health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which made everything harder as scalpers and bots are more prevalent.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by: Nhx Tingson
