There’s no denying the long-reaching impact of COVID-19. Internationally, lives have been changed forever, including death, loss, and community-wide destruction. The way we view these disasters is often in a duality; we understand the human loss, but we can’t truly comprehend how far these implications reach into other aspects of life too. One example we’ve seen the past months is in gaming production. The consequences of the Coronavirus will be felt throughout 2020, with initial PS5 availability expected to be limited, according to Sony.

The console production world is on halt, as much of the manufacturing industry. To be honest, most industries are at a standstill. It just so happens work-from-home is tougher for major factories and plants. According to new insights from Sony Corp, the PS5 consoles are still going to be launching for Holiday 2020. They just won’t be nearly as bountiful as a normal console debut. By March 2021, the PS5 will likely have 5 to 6 million consoles in circulation. By that time for the launch of the PS4, the console was well past 7 million sold.

Nobody is truly angered by this limited production plan. If anything, it’s good to see Sony stay realistic rather than assume all will be well by the holidays. Between this and the expected high price of the console, I think it’s safe to say sales are going to be far lower than the company expected. The same goes for Microsoft and their Xbox Series X. Nintendo, on the other hand, can’t make enough Switch consoles. The popular home-handheld hybrid is flying off shelves as people spend more time at home.

How does 2020 turn out by the time the PS5 launches? We truly have no idea. The real impact isn’t just on consoles; many game developers have stopped working on in-progress titles too. It’s interesting to see how long we will feel and see the implications of COVID-19 in gaming and beyond. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Coronavirus at this time.

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