Xbox's Phil Spencer said he expects Xbox Series X and Series S shortages to continue well into 2022. Microsoft's executive vice president of gaming made the comments in an episode of The Wrap (thanks VGC) where he outlined what's causing the shortages and why it's more than just a chip supply problem.
"When I think about, what does it mean to get the parts necessary to build a console today, and then get it to the markets where the demand is, there are multiple kind of pinch points in that process," he said.
"I think regretfully it’s going to be with us for months and months, definitely through the end of this calendar year and into the next calendar year."
Read more: All Game Pass games coming in October
Phil Spencer Expects Xbox Shortages Will Persist Through 2022
"People really want this new generation of consoles—they’re good consoles, both from us and the other platform holders—and they want the new functionality," he continued. "We’re working hard to bring them to market but it’s going to be a challenge that we’ll work through for quite a while."
It's not the only kind of delay the pandemic foisted on Microsoft. 343 Industries delayed additional parts of Halo Infinite, including Forge and campaign co-op, until 2022, citing difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as the cause.
Still, Microsoft's cross-generation policy means that, so far, most Xbox One players aren't missing out. This year's major Xbox releases, Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, are both on last-gen consoles, and Microsoft reportedly won't switch to Series exclusive games for a while yet.
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