Microsoft Used Xbox Series X Dev Kits for Its Halo Infinite Tournament Due to the Ongoing Chip Shortage

In another example of how bad the ongoing global chip shortage is, Microsoft couldn’t even secure enough Xbox Series X consoles for Halo Infinite’s first Halo Championship Series tournament and instead had to use a mix of retail and development consoles.Tahir Hasandjekic, the Halo esports and viewership lead at Microsoft/343 Industries, shared the news on Twitter, saying open bracket players would be playing on Xbox Series X development consoles. Fortunately, there is no need for these players or fans to worry as they are “functionally identical” to retail Xbox Series X hardware. “Heads up open bracket players – you’ll be playing this weekend on Series X development consoles,” Hasandjekic said. “They’re functionally identical and will be operating in ‘retail’ mode so it’s the exact same experience, they just look a little different. Why? Global supply chain shortage is real.”Yes, even Microsoft can’t find enough consoles for the first major tournament for Halo Infinite. For those unaware, dev kits are the systems used by game developers when creating the games we know and love. They are generally not made available to the public and it’s rare to ever see one at an official tournament.Have you played Halo Infinite?YESNOThis chip shortage is impacting many beyond Microsoft, as Nintendo cut its Switch production down 20% due to it and Sony reportedly cut production of its PS5 consoles by one million. A recent report said that this shortage affecting gaming “will remain very tight” until at least September 2022. The first Halo Infinite Halo Championship Series tournament features runs from December 17-19 and features 272 teams competing for a prize pool of $250,000 + Crowdfunding.Need help fighting a tough boss or finding all collectibles hidden around Zeta Halo? Look no further than these helpful guides.See all this and plenty more in our complete Halo Infinite Guide and Walkthrough.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.



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