Chip shortage affects Nintendo Switch sales 0:54
New York (CNN Business) -
Like many gamers in recent weeks, Nicole DeSantis, 33, from outside Philadelphia, carefully sifted through social media sites trying to find insider information on where to get a PlayStation 5 console. this festive season.
Due to a global shortage of chips, this year's video game consoles are especially hard to come by.
After landing a unit at Walmart.com, she has helped more than half a dozen local mothers get various video game consoles for their children.
He also posts tips on how to find them on popular Facebook groups like "PS5 / XBOX SERIES - RESTOCK", which has 27,700 members.
"You definitely need information to get a console," DeSantis told CNN Business.
"You can't just get it like that."
The PS5 and Xbox Series X have been very difficult to find 0:53
More than a year after their initial releases, Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Microsoft's high-end Xbox offering, the Series X, are still hard to find.
The OLED model of the Nintendo Switch, released in October 2021, is even harder to find on shelves and on the Internet.
Stocks of the devices run out in minutes, and an incident in Harris County, Texas even led to an attempted armed robbery when a 19-year-old tried to sell his PS5 to a man he met online.
Supply shortages and logistical problems have affected many industries, including automotive and consumer electronics, but the video game industry has been particularly hard hit as it competes with these other industries for similar parts.
"Supply chain issues affecting other consumer items are even more pronounced for video game consoles for a number of reasons, namely chip shortages, logistical issues, and bots exploiting the imbalance between supply and demand, "Alla Valente, Forrester technology analyst, told CNN Business.
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At the end of last year, Sony retracted its forecast that it would produce 16 million units of the PS5 console between March 2021 and March 2022, adjusting the figure to 15 million units.
Both Nintendo and Microsoft warned earlier this month that console sales will decline as a result of chip shortages.
"We will do our best to meet demand for all of our products, depending on the current situation and any challenges related to shipping and supply chain management," a Nintendo spokesperson told CNN Business.
"Our goal is to make enough to meet demand so that we can satisfy as many consumers as possible."
Similarly, a Microsoft spokesperson said that the Xbox X | S series will continue to be restocked.
"We are working as quickly as possible with our manufacturing and retail partners to accelerate production and shipping to keep up with unprecedented demand," they said.
"We recommend checking availability with local retailers."
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Checking for solutions
But some buyers like DeSantis are actively looking for solutions.
For example, Microsoft began offering Xbox Series X bundles in mid-November to "select fans" who received links through their existing Xbox accounts to purchase the bundle, which included the console and a game.
Sony established a similar practice in which it began emailing special PS5 restock invitations based on "past interests and activities of PlayStation," according to its website.
Other retailers offer special access when more consoles arrive to buyers subscribed to their annual membership services.
These include Walmart + ($ 98), Best Buy Totaltech ($ 199.99), Costco ($ 60) and GameStop PowerUp Pro ($ 14.99).
"Most Walmart + affiliations are probably people trying to get the PS5 and cancel after they get it," DeSantis said.
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However, becoming a member of these services does not guarantee that you will find a console.
Bereket Tesfay, 42, from Austin, Texas, is one of the gamers who hasn't been able to find a PS5 even after paying for subscription services.
"I joined Walmart +, Amazon Prime and the GameStop Pro membership so I could get a chance to buy a console ... and after a year, I still haven't gotten one," he told CNN Business.
"I have never in my life seen a console in which a year after its departure you cannot go into a store and take it with you."
Community service
Ameer Assaf, 32, of Flushing, Michigan, runs three different social media pages to help players share tips on product availability.
In addition to tweeting updates from his Twitter page, he runs a restock group on the Discord messaging app and his "PS5 Restock Updates & Alerts" group on Facebook with over 60,000 followers.
"Several people started playing video games more during the pandemic and were interested in buying or upgrading their consoles," Assaf told CNN Business.
"We are effectively seeing a situation where there is incredibly high demand coupled with very low supply. ... The PS5 shortage has been the worst I've seen yet."
What happens to the supply chain in the world?
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Assaf said resale bots, which are quick to buy items to resell them at a higher price, are also making things difficult for average customers this year.
"I am especially excited that parents send me messages telling me that my group has been the reason why they will be able to give a console to their child this holiday season," says Assaf.
Analysts predict that supply chain problems will affect the gaming industry well into 2022 and possibly until 2023. Assaf said it will continue to do whatever it can to help consumers get the coveted console.
"From now on, [my] groups will continue to operate until shortages are no longer a problem," he said.
supply chain Video consoles PS5