Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are scheduled to launch during this year’s holiday season, but both consoles could be delayed due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
DFC Intelligence recently released a statement regarding the status of Microsoft and Sony’s next-generation consoles, saying that it’s extremely likely that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X won’t make their scheduled release date due to the Coronavirus. Additionally, the analyst said that if the consoles do make it out on time, they’ll be in limited quantities.
“Coronavirus is likely to have a major short-term impact on the delivery of both systems. There is a strong likelihood one or both systems will not make a 2020 launch. If the systems do launch, supply will likely be constrained and initial pricing could be higher than expected.
“Currently the economy is in an unprecedented state of uncertainty. Even if the situation clears up in a few weeks, the ability to manufacture and release a high-end new game system has already been severely impacted.”
The Coronavirus could also lead to some upcoming current-generation games like The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima being delayed. Of course, Sucker Punch recently revealed the release date for Ghost of Tsushima, which is currently scheduled to be released on June 26. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II was already delayed last year, as it was originally supposed to be released in February, and it could be delayed again, as it is currently scheduled to be released at the end of May.
So far, neither Naughty Dog or Sucker Punch have said anything regarding their upcoming games, but if both of them do get delayed, neither studio will come under fire from the fans, as most people will probably understand, given that everyone’s health is far more important than getting a video game out on time.
Several gaming-related events were canceled in recent weeks, including this year’s E3, which was scheduled to take place in June. Also, PAX East was drastically impacted due to the Coronavirus, as several major developers opted to pull out of the Boston-based event.
While things could get better sooner than everyone expects, don’t be surprised to see some of the most anticipated titles of 2020 get delayed, so we might not see video games like The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima get moved back to the final quarter of this year.
