Console hardware supply shortages have been a consistent issue since the launch of the current gen machines. Both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 have been difficult to get a hold of for many gamers, and while there have been some bright spots recently, the head of Xbox believes that things are going to get worse before they get better.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, spoke in an interview with Bloomberg’s Emily Chang and discussed his opinion on the matter. The new interview can be seen in full below.
In the interview, Spencer said that he believes “demand will outstrip supply for us this holiday.” Going on, Spencer says that things should look better as “supply is catching up with demand.” He suggests that it might even get to the point where Xbox Series X/S consoles are available in stores when people walk in next year.
It’s worth noting that this is not the only time that supply issues have been mentioned when it comes to the Xbox Series X/S consoles. Tim Stuart, the chief financial officer at Xbox, also said that supplies could be an issue throughout this year.
The issues with the supply of current-gen consoles have slowly been improving since the release of both systems, but it’s safe to say that we aren’t out of the woods just yet.
Despite the supply constraints on both sides, it appears that both Xbox and PlayStation have made record starts to the generation. Back in January, it was reported that Xbox had its best-ever year in 2021, with a total of $16.28 billion in revenue for the 2021 calendar year. The Xbox Series X and S consoles have sold a combined total of 12 million units (as of the end of 2021) and while that was still behind the 18 million units sold by PlayStation 5 at that time, it is still an impressive number. The Xbox Series X/S is now the fastest-selling generation of Xbox consoles to date.
In other news, Sony recently announced that the PlayStation 5 would be receiving a price increase in many major territories outside the US. Sony Interactive Entertainment explains that this is due to the current global inflation rate, but the news was undoubtedly unwelcome for many players who are looking to purchase a PlayStation 5 in the future.
Various outlets have reached out to Microsoft to ask whether the Xbox Series X/S would receive a similar price increase. Microsoft responded to confirm that it will not be increasing the price of its current-gen consoles. A Microsoft spokesperson said that the suggested retail prices of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will remain the same in the UK.
