The chip shortage has been dragging on for well over a year now. For us gamers, it’s seemed like wave after wave of bad news, perhaps to the point where apathy is more common than frustration at this point. Things have begun to improve recently, though, we’re still a far cry from how good we had it in 2019. Understandably, many still hold guarded optimism for the situation, and recent events have aroused fears among investors and consumers alike that things could once again take a turn for the worse. In response to this, various companies reps have already provided assurances that the chip shortage is still on track for recovery throughout 2022.
The recent concerns stem from the developing situation in Ukraine regarding the Russian attack on the country. Ukraine is a major supplier of neon, a gas required for semiconductor manufacturing. Companies such as ASML and Micron rely on the supply of this natural resource from Ukraine, but it’s important to note that in this case other suppliers exist internationally. Preventative measures are already in place, which should reduce supply chain shortages due to the current situation.
Corporate nods of confidence
As reported by CNBC, major companies such as Intel, SK Hynix, Global Foundries, and others hold a degree of confidence that manufacturing will resume as normal for now. However, quite a few other major players such as TSMC still have yet to comment. It’s important to note that today’s report is by no means a guarantee, but rather a showing of reassurances among rising concerns.
Availability for CPUs, graphics cards, and other components is steadily improving, as a look at several major retailers will show. But it will likely take years for the semiconductor industry to fully catch up with demand. At the very least, the chip shortage still isn’t expected to worsen in 2022. And we hope the best for global events. Concerns over graphics card availability suddenly doesn’t feel as important.
