PS5 and Xbox Series X release date could get delayed due to the recent Coronavirus outbreak which has now turned into a global pandemic. More than 100 countries have been affected by the Covid-19 infection and many parts of the world are under lockdown. It is largely affecting the tech industries and smartphones launch events are getting canceled as public gathering has been banned in the United States after the government declared a national emergency.
One of the other major industries affected by Coronavirus is the gaming sector and it is estimated that the launch of the two upcoming next-gen consoles: PS5 and Xbox Series X will most probably get delayed. There will also be a shortage of supply for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 as the demand for the gaming consoles will be much higher than the usual.
Coronavirus Impact on PS5 and Xbox Series X Production
There is a new report which claims that Covid-19 outbreak can delay Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X launch dates. As per the DFC Intelligence report, Coronarvirus will have a major short-term impact on the delivery of both the gaming consoles. There are high chances that PS5 and Xbox Series X will not be able to get ready for a 2020 holiday launch.
A new report from @dfcintelligence indicates that the release of the #PS5 and the #XboxSeriesX will be delayed until 2021 due to coronavirus [h/t @ComicBook] pic.twitter.com/dXDrYj48aM
— Geek Vibes Nation đź–– (@GeekVibesNation) March 15, 2020
Sony and Microsoft despite their best efforts might not be able to meet the deadline due to the problems created by the outbreak in the supply chain and distributions. Even if the Coronavirus outbreak is contained over the next few months, it will still take some time to recover, PS5 and Xbox Series X release will not happen on the scheduled time.
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will have Increased Demands
Xbox Series X and PS5 are the most awaited gaming consoles that will come with all sorts of new updates and features. Experts are saying that there will be an increased demand this year for the gaming consoles but Sony and Microsoft will barely able to meet the expectations due to the Coronavirus problems.
If Coronavirus ends up affecting production of Xbox Series X and/or PS5, my hunch (and that's all it is, obviously) is that the consoles won't get delayed (as the TurboGrafx-16 Mini just did), but rather the supply will be pretty limited for a while, a la Wii and 360.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) March 7, 2020
It is said that the number for PS5 and Xbox Series X copies sold at the launch will surpass the numbers of PS4 and Xbox One, but maintaining the supply with the demands is going to get a lot difficult over the Covid-19 outbreak.