New-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles only come around once every seven years or so, so those release dates are forever enshrined in gaming history.
Given the current global climate, it’s surely possible that the holiday 2020 release dates for the PS5 and Xbox Series X could slip into 2021. Well, according to both Sony and Microsoft, that’s not going to be the case. Today, a Sony spokesperson said the company did not expect the PS5 to be delayed by the COVID-19 health crisis.
A Bloomberg report paraphrased a Sony spokesperson as saying the firm “doesn’t see any notable impact on the launch of its next-generation game console PlayStation 5 planned at the end of this year.”
For Microsoft’s part, earlier this week the Xbox maker said its supply chain was recovering from the outbreak. In an interview with CNBC, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: “On the supply side we are getting back on rails”.
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Nadella added: “We have a great balance sheet, we are a very diverse business, we have a mix of annuity, non-annuity, that is also stronger than even the last time we even went into the financial crisis. I feel confident we’ll come out of this, frankly, pretty strong.”
The official word from Sony and Microsoft is backed up by the CEO of retailer GameStop George Sherman. In an earnings call, he said the firm had “no indication of any impact on the product launch or delivery date.” (via IGN)
According to Sherman, who incurred the wrath of many by declaring GameStop an “essential” service and initially shirking shutdown orders, the impact on the firm’s inventory has been minimal.
So, provided we’re allowed out of the house by November this year, there should be no problem telling your friends you won’t be coming to the pub because you’re playing on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
