‘Perfect storm’: Phones, consoles could get pricier as chip crisis bites

Kuala Lumpur: Prices of popular gadgets such as PlayStations and iPhones could rise because of microchip shortages caused by a “perfect storm” of coronavirus-driven demand, supply chain disruptions and trade war stockpiling, experts warn.

In the months after the pandemic hit, people stuck at home went on a spending spree to buy items including extra monitors, new computers and tablets — each of which runs on all-important chips.

Compounding the crisis are US-China tensions — Huawei stockpiled semiconductors last year before American sanctions aimed at cutting the tech giant off from global chipmakers kicked in, adding further pressure to supplies.