You do not need a crystal ball to predict that the PlayStation 5 will launch in mid-November, but a new report from VGC suggests that Sony is looking closely at the narrow window. The website claims that, in the UK at least, the platformer has posted major ads for the week beginning on 13 November. That’s of course when tent title titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War are released, so it’s logical.
The publication goes on to say that “multiple retail sources” have mentioned the same general time frame, although it seems that the Japanese giant seems to be keeping its partners somewhat in the dark. Why then the delay? Now, coronavirus has thrown a serious obstacle in the way of both Sony and Microsoft, who wait as long as possible before dating their devices. The problem is that a sudden peak in cases, like any kind of change to their supply line, can seriously end their plans.
In fact, Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners said that while production has been relatively smooth since June, logistics has been a huge obstacle for both organizations. “While production is rising and scarcity of parts is less of an issue than before, we believe logistical issues will be a barrier for both platform owners to overcome this holiday season, with the impact of Covid-19 leading to long shipping times and shortages on store shelves during the launch period, ‘he said. “We expect Sony and Microsoft to use more expensive air shipments to meet demand this year.”
It is expected that the Xbox Series X will be released for the PS5, with Microsoft apparently aiming for the first week in November. This would give it the freedom to slip into the second week of November and still beat the PS5 for retail, which seems to be one of the Redmond company’s primary goals. With a matter of days between the two devices, however, we are not convinced that it all means so much in the grand scheme of things.
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