PS5 hasn't been delayed by coronavirus, Sony PR says

PS5 release date
PS5 release date (Image credit: Sony)

The PS5's release date hasn't been affected by the global coronavirus pandemic yet, according to a new report that cites one of Sony's PR agencies. 

As reported by Dutch outlet LetsGoDigital, which attended an exhibition on the creation of the console in a museum in the Netherlands, the PS5's release date hasn't shifted as a result of the developing global situation. 

A quick Google Translate gives us the following rough result. "BAAS, the Amsterdam PR agency for Sony Interactive Entertainment Benelux, has informed LetsGoDigital that the corona virus has not yet delayed the launch of the PlayStation 5 for the time being." BAAS indeed lists PlayStation as one of its clients on its website

Sony confirmed in October 2019 that the PS5's release date was set for the holiday 2020 period, with the Xbox Series X scheduled for the same timeframe. Microsoft reiterated that timeframe with the reveal of the specs for its console earlier this week. 

Could timings change?

The world is changing around us, and it's unclear exactly what effect coronavirus will have on supply lines for electronics. Foxconn, which makes iPhones and other electronics, reopened its factories last week

Given that we don't know the specific release dates of either console, we're in wait-and-see mode. We may learn more, though, with today's reveal of the PS5's innards by lead system architect Mark Cerny. 

Samuel Roberts

Samuel is a PR Manager at game developer Frontier. Formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor, he's an expert in Marvel, Star Wars, Netflix shows and general streaming stuff. Before his stint at TechRadar, he spent six years at PC Gamer. Samuel is also the co-host of the popular Back Page podcast, in which he details the trials and tribulations of being a games magazine editor – and attempts to justify his impulsive eBay games buying binges.