When the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S launched in November 2020, few anticipated the dearth of consoles that would still be ongoing into mid-2022. The quick explanation for the limited availability is a chip shortage, but the reality extends to limited manufacturing in general due to the pandemic, scalpers, and cryptocurrency mining. The problem has been so bad that at times online retailers like Walmart and Amazon have limited PS5 and Xbox Series sales to Prime members or Walmart+ subscribers.