Right now, the world is in panic over the coronavirus, causing many major events to be postponed or even canceled. The coronavirus has also caused tech hardware shortages, with some analysts thinking that it could cause a delay for next-generation consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X. But for those worrying that the coronavirus may keep the next-generation consoles from launching on time, their fear may be misplaced.
According to AMD Executive Vice President of Computing and Graphics Rick Bergman, speaking at AMD's Financial Analyst Day, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are still expected to launch in their previously announced release windows. Both consoles are expected to be due out this coming holiday season, so it seems like the coronavirus won't keep consumers from getting their hands on the PS5 and Xbox Series X later this year.
That being said, it's still a possibility that the coronavirus will eventually cause issues that will delay the PS5 and Xbox Series X. As pointed out by ComicBook, neither console has entered mass production, and at this point, it's difficult to determine exactly how widespread the coronavirus situation will be a few months down the line. So while we're not exactly out of the woods just yet, it's far too early for fans to worry.
One possibility is that while the PS5 and Xbox Series X won't be delayed, they could be released in limited quantities. This has already been predicted by some analysts, with some thinking that the potentially limited supply of the PS5 and Xbox Series X may even impact the consoles' asking price.
At the time of this writing, neither Sony nor Microsoft have actually announced prices for their consoles. The PS5 price and the Xbox Series X price is predicted to be anywhere from $450-$600 according to most estimates, but nothing has been set in stone. Production issues stemming from the coronavirus or some other unforeseen events could play a significant role in the next-gen consoles' price, but that has yet to be determined.
Fans will likely need to wait for Sony's rumored PS5 reveal event to learn pricing information about its next-gen console. In the meantime, the Xbox Series X price will likely be announced at E3 2020, assuming the coronavirus doesn't cause that event to be shut down as well. But fans shouldn't worry too much about the coronavirus delaying next-gen consoles until it actually comes to pass, if ever.
Source: ComicBook