Thanks to the ongoing chip shortage, the Xbox Series X remains an elusive console to buy. Unfortunately for Microsoft, it recently found out just how bad things are.
Over this past weekend, 343 Industries held Halo Infinite’s first Halo Championship Series tournament. This required several Xbox Series X consoles on hand.
There was just one small problem: Microsoft couldn’t find enough retail units.
Instead, the company resorted to a mix of retail and development Xbox Series X consoles. This was according to Tahir Hasandjekic, the Halo esports and viewership at Microsoft and 343 Industries.
“Heads up open bracket players – you’ll be playing this weekend on Series X development consoles,” said Hasandjekic on Twitter.
“They’re functionally identical and will be operating in ‘Retail’ mode so it’s the exact same experience. They just look a little different.”
Hasanjekic blamed the snafu on the global chip shortage. Due to the pandemic and people working from home, demand for processors far outstripped supply. As a result, manufacturers continue to play catch-up.
Exacerbating the situation are the constraints on the overall supply chain. Ships continue to overwhelm ports, and there aren’t enough workers to offload containers and drive them to their destinations.
All of this adds up to a problem that likely won’t be fixed for some time. In the short term, gamers can take solace in the fact even Microsoft can’t find enough Xbox Series X consoles.
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