Restocks of the PS5 are expected to remain scarce for some time.
There is no end in sight to the worldwide chip scarcity, despite media reports to the contrary. Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, has predicted that the chip scarcity would endure until at least 2024.
After initially forecasting that supply will begin to improve in 2023, Gelsinger now believes that the current situation is not improving as quickly as expected, according to an interview he gave to CNBC earlier this month.
Gelsinger noted that the absence of crucial manufacturing equipment meant that chip production can no longer keep pace with the ever-increasing demand.
According to him, the total semiconductor scarcity would now extend into 2024, rather than the prior projection of 2023, due to equipment constraints and the increased difficulty of ramping up some of those factories.
Over the last two years, the worldwide chip scarcity has hampered the development of everything from next-generation consoles to life-saving medical devices. It was caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, which disrupted supply lines and delayed manufacture, resulting in a bottleneck in the electronics supply chain.
Finding a PS5 replenishment or a flagship graphics card at retail pricing is still a challenge, despite recent improvements in the manufacture of several in-demand devices. This means that these sought-after things will remain out of reach for many years to come if Gelsinger’s prediction is right. Future product launches may be affected if the worldwide chip scarcity persists.
Sony’s forthcoming virtual reality headset, the PSVR 2, has been said to be delayed beyond 2023 owing to production concerns. It’s also possible that Apple’s rumoured upcoming lineup of smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers will be plagued by production shortages, as was the case with last year’s iPhone 13.
For popular items, we predict periods of increasing availability, followed by times of decreasing supply. Of course, the situation will not be linear. Consider this: If you’re hoping to get your hands on the latest and greatest in the world of video games and other gadgets that rely on semiconductors, be prepared to deal with supply concerns. Unfortunately, the worldwide chip scarcity seems to be ongoing.