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+--- Thread: Controller Shortages Incoming? (/showthread.php?tid=1104)
Controller Shortages Incoming? - Moonface - Jun 21st, 2022
Microsoft has confirmed a shortage of Xbox controllers, with the issue affecting stock in multiple countries including the UK, Australia, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Microsoft stated that the issue has been caused by supply disruptions, so presumably a particular part is running short similar to how console manufacturing has been struggling for a while due to chip shortages. I've not managed to find out if Microsoft have shared what supply in particular they're running short on to produce controllers.
Third party sellers have naturally already begun to jump on the opportunity, raising the prices of Xbox controllers to double the price on Amazon. I won't be shocked to start seeing people trying to scalp any remaining in-stock controllers in the hopes of making a quick buck off them, although I think someone would be a real fool to fork over money to any of these sellers just for a controller. If I owned an Xbox controller and it stopped working I'd rather spend every waking moment trying to fix it myself with YouTube videos or pay someone to fix it for me which would surely work out cheaper than spending 2x the RSP for a new controller. XD
Luckily I don't have a need, desire or means to buy more controllers of any sort right now, but I'd love to know what the specific thing is Microsoft are having supply issues with to tell whether the problem could start to affect PlayStation and Nintendo, or even start extending to PC peripherals at all.
Jeez, imagine if console supplies started to get better all of a sudden but we still see shortages on them because the companies can't get a controller to put in the box.
RE: Controller Shortages Incoming? - ShiraNoMai - Jun 22nd, 2022
Geez, between the chip shortages and now parts for controllers going dry, when will this gimping of the industries end? Or is it our over-consumption causing this? Many factors indeed, oof.
Still, strange it only seems to apply to EU and AUS. Suppose it's a localized issue of production in this case
RE: Controller Shortages Incoming? - Karo - Jun 22nd, 2022
Well I know for the GPU shortage it was Crypto causing that shortage not entirely sure about whatever this shortage is caused by. I am kinda surprised that we are having a controller shortage for any company...I doubt they sell that many that there is this giant need for it. Considering you could also just bring your own controller to your friends house if you were planning to play locally?
RE: Controller Shortages Incoming? - Moonface - Jun 22nd, 2022
I expect it's more noticeable outside the US right now because all of those regions are smaller and will therefore have smaller stock amounts. I expect the issue will affect the US too, but we just haven't noticed it here ourselves yet because the scale of the country means it's harder to see stock run low. For example, I expect that somewhere like Walmart or GameStop would just shift units to stores that need them, whereas in the EU if a store is running low it can't just go grab stock from another EU country like how companies can do that across US states.