Not long after the release of the Xbox Series S and X, Microsoft indicated that constraints on supply were slowing down their ability to deliver consoles to retailers. And earlier this year, Microsoft noted that they expected the supply of consoles to be constrained through June of this year.

Seeing as June has now come and gone and retail tracking websites (and my Twitter mentions) are still indicating that supply is still tough to find, it was time for an update.

On a podcast earlier this week, Phil Spencer touched on the topic and if you are hoping to easily pick up a console anytime soon, the news does not sound great. Spencer notes that it’s not only chip shortages that are the problem but also other components like Ethernet ports are challenging to acquire too.

Further, Spencer believes that the console shortage will “be with us for a while” and that Microsoft is seeing “demand like never seen before” which is increasing the pressure on the available stock of consoles. But, there may be a little bit of hope on the horizon for those who prefer to play games on their consoles and not in the browser.

Spencer says that they have placed huge orders for Xbox consoles but notes that there is a lengthy lead time between orders placed and consoles being delivered.

I did reach to Microsoft to see if they had any additional information about console availability and they provided the following statement:

“With the global chip shortage across several industries, we’re working as fast as possible with our manufacturing and retail partners to expedite production and shipping to keep up with unprecedented demand for our new Xbox consoles.” – Microsoft spokesperson

Make no mistake, Microsoft is not the only company facing these challenges. Sony has already stated that the supply of their console, the PlayStation 5, will see supply constraints into 2022. What this means is that if you see a console available for purchase, it’s in your best interest to buy it right away or be prepared to wait.

Tagged with Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X