In a little over a month, Nintendo will be launching the new OLED Model of its highly popular Switch console. While scalpers are already making the proposition of getting a hold of one quite difficult, making things even more so is word from Japanese conglomerate Toshiba that power-chip shortages will continue to be ongoing. This means that manufacture of everything from Switch to Xbox to PlayStation is going to be difficult, and thus stock will remain limited.
Toshiba warns power-chip supply will stay tight for another year https://t.co/coLhOKbn3o
— Bloomberg (@business) September 3, 2021
As for the “why” of this situation, the Bloomberg reports cites “material shortages and demand outpacing output capacity” as the cause. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a higher than ever demand for electronic devices, which is a major contributor to the shortage. Toshiba anticipates that it won’t be able to satiate demand until 2022, and in some cases not until 2023. This sucks for video game fans, but expect the shortages to have an effect on everything from consumer electronics to vehicle production, as well.
Suffice to say, if you’ve managed to get a pre-order in for a Switch OLED model, make sure to pick it up on October 8.
Source: Bloomberg