President Biden has signed an executive order to launch an investigation into COVID-19 pandemic-induced global semiconductor shortage that has been affecting the production of next-gen consoles, smartphones, automobiles, and other goods.
As reported by GameSpot, the White House's order means the federal government can now begin a 100-day review of the semiconductor production pipeline in an effort to formulate an alternative strategy and lessen its effect on the American economy. This comes as a result of a call from a number of tech giants, including Apple, Sony, and AMD, for the president to take notice of these shortages and consider its wide-ranging impact on a number of industries.
"Semiconductors play a critical role in enabling the products and services that fuel our economy, contribute to American innovation, and enhance our national security," the groups said in a letter to the president last week. "Given the central role of semiconductors, strengthening the US position in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing is a national priority."
Advert
As you may know, the semiconductor shortage is one of the main reasons behind the fact it's becoming increasingly difficult to obtain a next-gen console. While scalpers admittedly haven't helped the situation, Sony and Microsoft are primarily struggling to meet demand because of this superconductor shortage.
"It's difficult for us to increase production of the PS5 amid the shortage of semiconductors and other components," Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki explained during a recent earnings call. "We have not been able to fully meet the high level of demand from customers [but] we continue to do everything in our power to ship as many units as possible to customers who are waiting for a PS5."
It's unclear how much longer these shortages are set to last, but it seems both Sony and Microsoft fully expect next-gen consoles to be in comparatively limited supply for the foreseeable future.
Advert
"This is about making sure the United States can meet every challenge we faced in this new era of pandemics, but also in defense cybersecurity, climate change, and so much more," Biden said at a press conference in regards to the executive order. "The best way to do that is by protecting and and sharpen and America's competitive edge by investing here at home."
It's important to note that this order isn't limited to semiconductors either. President Biden is launching investigations into a number of sectors, including defense, public health, biological preparedness, information communications technology, transportation, and energy and food production.
Topics: Xbox, GAMING, News, Microsoft, PlayStation