Buying a video game console is a complicated task. Supply issues have kept manufacturers from meeting the growing demand for Xbox X / S Series and PlayStation 5. However, this situation is no longer exclusive to next-gen consoles. The shortages now also affect products that have been on the market for a few years, such as PS4 and Xbox One.
As Kotaku reports, several GameStop stores in the US have indicated that they haven’t been receiving new Xbox One, PS4, or DualShock 4 controllers for several weeks. Therefore, they only offer used consoles and controllers that they still have in stock. This has also impacted e-commerce services such as Amazon, where “refurbished” Sony controllers are priced up to a million euros. 30% more expensive.
So far, there doesn’t seem to be any problem acquiring the new DualSense controllers. The downside is that these do not work on PS4. It’s a different story for Microsoft. The new Xbox controllers work great on both the new Xbox X / S series and the Xbox One. These are also usually well stocked, so they don’t run out easily.
The PS4 and Xbox One are nearing the end of their lifecycle
The Xbox One and PS4 are consoles that can still run a wide variety of games and seem like a worthwhile alternative for those who fail to get their hands on a new next-gen console. However, in Sony’s case, the company has already discontinued almost all models of the PS4, except for the 500GB Slim variant. Microsoft, meanwhile, has halted production of the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S All Digital Edition.
Either way, being a gamer these days is complicated. The semiconductor crisis caused by. the coronavirus pandemic has directly affected the supply from PlayStation 5 and Xbox One. Additionally, the rise of cryptocurrencies has caused a large chunk of graphics cards to end up in the hands of miners rather than gamers, making the situation even worse.
Buying a PS5, Xbox One, or next-gen in the United States, the world’s largest video game market, is a problem today. As the year progresses, the situation could get more complicated for other markets as well. That said, it does not affect Nintendo’s console at this time. The Switch is available almost everywhere.