PS5, Xbox Series X Component Shortage To Be Investigated, President Biden Says

A semiconductor shortage brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to become detrimental to a wide range of industries, prompting President Biden to launch an investigation into how it can be resolved.

President Biden is expected to sign an executive order today that will kick off a 100-day review of the semiconductor production pipeline, so that alternatives and strategies can be formulated to alleviate its effect on the American economy. This follows a collective call from companies such as Apple, Sony, AMD, and Qualcomm for the president take notice of the shortages and what it might mean for the economy in the short and long term.

"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."

The shortage is a major reason behind stock issues for electronics such as the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, as well as computer components such as GPUs, laptops, and more. It's become so widespread that even the automotive industry is now struggling, with electric vehicles requiring a large portion of the supply, too.

The executive order isn't limited to semiconductors either, with President Biden also launching investigations into the defense, public health, biological preparedness, information communications technology, transportation, and energy and food production sectors