Five years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted high-tech supply chains around the globe, gaming hardware was one of the sectors that felt the impact most directly. At exactly the moment when demand for games was soaring – what else are you going to do when your social life and normal activities are disrupted for months on end? – manufacturers found themselves unable to meet their existing production targets, let alone ramp up to meet that enhanced demand. PlayStation 5 was the poster child for these supply chain failures, and was almost universally sold out for the best part of a year after its launch.
