Remember last year, when it was really, really difficult to find a PlayStation 5 console anywhere? Remember how 2021 so far has seemed like a carbon copy of 2020? Can you see where we’re going with this?

Yup, it seems like Nintendo isn’t the only console maker to encounter issues with supplying enough consoles for the end of the year. Sony’s gigantic new plaything also faces supply issues for the end of this year. The reason? The same reason every other tech-maker on the planet is having issues — the ongoing semiconductor shortage.

We like our PlayStation 5 consoles rare

Sony has, according to a Bloomberg report, cut back on the number of next-generation games consoles they’re able to manufacture for the holiday season. The company’s on track to meet expectations this year. It was planning to have sold just under 15 million consoles by the time this financial year end er… ends. But it was hoping to have 16 million consoles available, instead of the 15 million it’s now expecting to make.

The cause isn’t just a lack of components, though that is certainly part of the issue. Bloomberg reports that parts for the PlayStation 5 are not being delivered on time thanks to logistical issues. Production issues, laid at the door of the COVID vaccine rollout, are also being experienced. So this time you can thank COVID and the chip shortage for why you can’t buy a PlayStation 5 for Christmas (Also, you waited to the last second, you ‘nana).

Sony joins the likes of BMW, Intel, AMD, Apple, and a whole mess of others in reducing output and/or features as a result of the chip shortage. And the shortage could go on for longer than expected, which means your favourite tech is likely to become harder to locate, and a little more expensive.

Source: Bloomberg