Skip to main content

Sony says PlayStation 5 launch not delayed by coronavirus — at least, not yet

Amid the global disruptions caused by the spread of the new coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, Sony claims that the planned launch of the PlayStation 5 later this year remains on track.

In a statement on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s operations, Sony said that it expects “no material impact” for its gaming and network services segment for the current fiscal year.

Related Videos

Additionally, a spokeswoman for Sony told Bloomberg that the company does not see “any notable impact” from the disruptions caused by the coronavirus on the release of the PlayStation 5.

Sony reported various shutdowns for its offices and manufacturing plants across the world. The company also said that its business has been affected by travel restrictions, which has prevented engineers from Japan moving to other countries to help with new product launches and provide instructions on manufacturing processes.

With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic not yet in sight, it remains to be seen if shutdowns and restrictions mandated by national governments will indeed have no effect on the PlayStation 5’s launch. While it may be true that the console will still be released on schedule, production shutdowns may result in a lower number of units available upon launch, leading to supply shortages while manufacturing capacities recover and work to catch up to the demand.

Sony, however, flagged possible delays in the production schedules for games being developed by first-party studios and partner studios, particularly in the United States and Europe. There have been no definite delays announced so far though, with The Last of Us Part 2 still expected to roll out in May and Ghost of Tsushima in June.

PlayStation 5 still on track for 2020 holidays

Sony has not yet revealed a specific release date for the PlayStation 5, but it has confirmed that the console will launch in time for the 2020 holiday season to go head-to-head with the Xbox Series X.

PlayStation 5 lead system architect Mark Cerny recently discussed the console’s architecture in a presentation, which included details regarding its solid-state drive, processing power, and graphics processing unit. Cerny also talked about the PlayStation 5’s backward compatibility feature, which was later clarified to eventually work for most PlayStation 4 games.

Editors' Recommendations

I’m already pining for PlayStation VR2 to get Half-Life: Alyx
half life alyx vr details feature

I haven't played Half-Life: Alyx, but I really, really want to.

Last month, I picked up the PlayStation VR2 as my first virtual reality headset and have been enjoying a wide range of games on it since then, from Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded to Horizon Call of the Mountain. Although the lack of exciting new titles in PSVR2's launch window library doesn't bother me that much as this is my first VR experience, I do still recognize that there are only a couple of games that are pushing the PSVR2's technology and giving Sony's second VR outing a clear identity.

Read more
The best PSVR2 games
Horizon Call of the Mountain key art.

The newest VR headset on the market, the PlayStation VR2 is packed full of top-of-the-line tech to make your gaming experience as immersive and comfortable as possible. But what are killer specs without fantastic games? PSVR2 has quite the library of great VR games already available, with more on the way. Whether you're a VR expert looking to check out your favorite VR games on the latest headset or a newcomer diving into VR for the first time, you can't go wrong with these steller titles on the PSVR2

Horizon Call of the Mountain

Read more
Final Fantasy 16: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more
Shiva in Final Fantasy 16.

Final Fantasy 16 is finally on its way after a prolonged gap from the previous numbered entry. While numerous major titles have seen delays in the past couple of years, we're glad to finally know the game is nearly upon us. There are still plenty of mysteries about the new adventure, but here's everything we know so far.

Further reading

Read more