Analyst firm DFC Intelligence has posted an update on their 2020 gaming forecast in the wake of the current world economic disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They indicate that Microsoft and Sony are likely to delay their next-gen systems the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X to 2021 as critical supply and manufacturing chains are disrupted.
The firm notes the crisis should be relatively short-term and will actually help spike consumer demand, leading to more sales in the long run, but overall availability should be lower and a delay will impact the release of any next-gen exclusive titles:
“The conclusion is that 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 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.”
Neither Sony nor Microsoft have officially confirmed a delay at this point, both are targeting a Holiday 2020 release at present.
Source: Tweak Town
