Still trying to get that Xbox series X or S, PS5, or even that GPU? Why is it so hard to get any of these? Let alone at a good price? Well, let’s take a look into what caused these price spikes and scarcity. The microprocessor shortages have been affecting the global population and market since early and mid-2021 to the present day, coming up towards two years strong. The shortage was caused by an increase in products such as laptops, tablets, and other technology of the like. This was affected by more time off due to covid and work-from-home employees. The sudden large increase in said products ate up all supply– with no known stockpiles–of silicon-made microprocessors.

This is important because the chips are essential in almost any modern electronic. From cars, washing machines, all the way to high-performance computers. In response, the US has invested more than a few hundred billion dollars into silicon production on US soil revival efforts, as the US started to rely on Asian imports in the past few decades. Companies such as Intel have started their own production of said chips to help revive the US economy and electronic divisions, and Intel has followed up with the start of construction of a $20 billion manufacturing plant in Ohio. As a few said, “We pioneered the production of microprocessors but yet import them today?” Thus, we are striving to become one of the top microprocessor producers in the world, First to aid the shortage, and second to aid the economy overall.

This plan is already in action via President Biden’s “Chip plan”which was enacted earlier this August and allocated 50 billion dollars towards semiconductor production, silicone-based microprocessors. Long story short, the efforts for catching up with said shortages have been valiant, and with an actual increase in production eases the shortage, in many opinions to cease completely soon. Another way of saying it is; Start saving up for that electronic you’ve been trying to get for the last year or two, to be expected you’re chance to get it may come soon.