Coronavirus is getting all the headlines and we suspect the phenomenon isn't dying down anytime soon, as much as we'd like that to happen. The latest news comes from a fresh DFC Intelligence report, issued recently by the games industry research firm established in 1994.
According to DFC Intelligence, there's a very real chance that one or both the next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, will miss their scheduled Holiday 2020 release window due to supply chain issues caused by COVID-19.
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.
AMD, which supplies custom SoC for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, said only a short while ago that next-gen is still on track. However, the possibility of a delay cannot be discarded yet with the pandemic slowly subsiding in China but just about exploding in Europe and North America.
It's not all doom and gloom from the latest DFC Intelligence report for Sony and Microsoft, however, as the research firm agrees with IHS Markit's Piers Harding-Rolls that consumer demand should be 'stronger than ever' whenever they launch.
The good news is that consumer demand is likely to be stronger than ever. Demand will far exceed supply and long-term that could increase overall sales. In addition, the abundance of government and public caution should help assure this is a comparatively short-term crisis.
Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will release to record consumer demand. The challenge Sony and Microsoft face is making sure they release systems that meet expectations. Given the current situation, waiting to make sure they get the initial product right is the most prudent choice.
Needless to say, we'll be taking a close look at any reports, rumors and news on the impact of the Coronavirus on the launch of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, stay tuned on Wccftech.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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