Finding PS5 or Xbox Series X stock has been a bit of a lottery since the consoles launched in November last year, with various factors impacting Sony and Microsoft’s ability to meet demand.
One of the biggest bottlenecks affecting supply, however, is the ongoing global semiconductor shortages – and it’s spurred President Joe Biden into action.
Reuters reports that the President is seeking $37 billion to fund legislation to help supercharge chip manufacturing in the US to make up for the shortfall of semiconductors.
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“I’m directing senior officials in my administration to work with industrial leaders to identify solutions to the semiconductor shortfall,” Biden said. “Congress has authorized a bill but they need ... $37 billion to make sure that we have this capacity. I’ll push for that as well.”
Biden has signed an executive order to start a 100-day review of supply chains for four critical products: semiconductor chips, rare earth minerals, pharmaceuticals and large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles.
Presidential powers
AMD, who manufacture the custom GPU and CPU chips found inside the PS5 and Xbox Series X, has previously warned that chip shortages will continue to constrain supply, with Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan also highlighting the ongoing semiconductor shortages as one of the factors for PS5 supply issues in a recent interview.
Microsoft has also previously stated that Xbox Series X stock shortages could continue until June.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed how reliant some countries are on imports, particularly for electronic components and medical supplies like personal protective equipment.
While President Biden’s executive order won’t help you secure a PS5 or Xbox Series X in the near future, it should hopefully mean that the type of dire stock shortages we’ve currently been experiencing will be far less impactful, should a similar crisis occur down the line.
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