Microsoft Expects Xbox Series X/S Shortages to Extend to Next Year

The next generation of consoles is here but in only a few lucky hands.

And that could be the case for quite some time as Microsoft is now reporting that their latest consoles, the Series X and S, could be in short supply until at least April 2021.

Blame the weird nature of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic or really high demand for the system, either way, it looks like things are going to be tough for Xbox diehards that weren’t lucky enough to get a console in the first wave.

Xbox’s experiences and platforms boss Liz Hamren acknowledged the gap between demand and supply, noting, “We know that not everyone was able to get an Xbox Series X|S immediately and are working tirelessly with our partners around the world to bring as many new consoles to as many of you as possible over time and encourage you to check in with your local retailers directly for more details on availability in your market.”

That doesn’t mean it will be totally impossible to get Microsoft’s newest machine. Retailers are being told to expect “sporadic” shipments of the system, Video Games Chronicle reports. Naturally, you’ve always got eBay as an option with scalpers already filling the search results with overpriced next-gen hardware. Of course, this isn’t an Xbox-exclusive phenomenon as much the same thing is happening with Sony’s newest platform.

Microsoft’s brass expects the “demand profile” for their newest systems to level out in the spring of next year.

Or, as Xbox chief financial officer Tim Stuart said at the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment conference, “I think we’ll continue to see supply shortages as we head into the post-holiday quarter, so Microsoft’s Q3, calendar Q1…And then when we get to Q4, all of our supply chain continuing to go full speed heading into kind of the pre-summer months. And that’s where I start to — I expect to see a little bit of the demand — the supply profile, meeting the demand profile. You’ll be outside of a holiday window. We’ll have supply cranking over the next, what, 4, 5, 6 months. And that’s when I expect to see really that demand profile start to be met, which will be really, really great.”

In other news, it seems like random issues are plaguing both the latest Xbox and Sony’s PS5. Outside of that, Microsoft clarified their stance with Bethesda releasing games on other platforms with a “first and best” experience being reserved for their systems – whatever that means. Reading between the lines, it doesn’t look like Microsoft is going to prevent Bethesda from releasing its games on other consoles which is a good thing for the industry overall. 

Did you pick up a new Xbox Series X or S? What do you think of the system so far? Does the prospect of a long wait make you impatient or are you cool with getting Microsoft’s latest at a later date? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also, don’t forget to check out our other video game content by clicking this link right here.

With the PS5 Just Around the Corner, the Last-Gen PlayStation 4 Continues to Break Sales Records

We are mere days away from the launch of the PlayStation 5 but it seems like Sony’s old system can’t help but break sales records in the meantime.

That’s because the PlayStation 4 was recently named the most profitable video game console in history according to analysts. For those of us with some knowledge of the landscape of console gaming history, that’s no small feat.

Especially when you consider the Nintendo Wii and the phenomenon that it was, not to mention Sony’s own blockbuster PlayStation 2 (a console that still holds the reigns as the best-selling console of all time on a unit basis).

Resetera’s ArmGunar made the bold claim, Games Radar reports, claiming that the system has pulled in some $11.3 billion in profit since its launch all the way back in 2013.

To put that in perspective with some of Sony’s other consoles, that it three times as much as the PlayStation 1 and four times as much as the PlayStation 2. As for why the PS4 is likely pulling in more profit than the PS2 even though it sold more units, some people point to the emergence of a then-novel technology called DVD players that Sony included with each system. For Nintendo, ArmGunar estimates that the DS handheld brought in some $11.04 billion in profit over its life while the Wii pulled in $10.56 billion. The DS’s performance is particularly impressive given it did cost remarkably less than either of those systems, not to mention the fact that everyone thought the DS a failure shortly after launch. This same analyst does not expect the PS4 to surpass the PS2 in total units sold, however, especially with the next-generation consoles right on their way.

What makes all of this even more interesting is that so many analysts were quick to proclaim the death of console gaming not too long ago yet 2020 has proven to be a banner year for nearly everyone. If anything, the various gaming platforms on offer in the market seem to have embraced the media segmentation strategy that more traditional niches live movies and television are just now discovering. Basically, there’s more than enough of a market for video games for everyone. 

In fact, Sony and the PlayStation 4 have enjoyed a particularly successful 2020 as a slew of exclusive games, most of which have already been named modern classics by many, have helped keep the PS4 machine chugging along. Couple this with the backward compatibility promised by the PS5 and the the fourth installment could enjoy quite an interesting retirement.

Do you own a PlayStation 4? What do you think of it as a system? Are you a longtime Sony fan or did the fourth installment in the house of PlayStation bring you to the fold? How do you think the PS5 stacks up against Microsoft’s new machine? Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section.

Don’t forget to check out our other video game content by clicking this link right here.

Get Ready for Last of Us Part II

Releasing on PS4 this Friday.

The follow up to the 2013 game is finally arriving on June 19th. If you guys still remember that game, they left us with a pretty open ending with plenty of questions and not many answers.

The review embargo ended and the feedback so far is quite positive. You’ll be in for a roller coaster of emotions in the new game. Gameplay is said to be quite good as well; I didn’t feel that the game play and combat was very good in the original.

The game is already available for pre-order for the usual $59.99

Don’t remember much of the first game? Watch all the cut scenes from the first game with us below.