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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Andrew Griffin

PS5 release date: Sony says launch of new PlayStation is on track despite coronavirus

People wander in front of the Playstation posters at the 24th Electronic Expo, or E3 2018, in Los Angeles, California ( FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images )

The launch of the PlayStation 5 is still running on schedule despite the coronavirus outbreak, according to Sony.

The company said that it has seen significant changes to the way it works – but that development is still continuing as expected.

Sony said earlier this year that the console was planned for the holiday period at the end of this year, along with the Xbox Series X.

And though the outbreak has led to "some challenges", it is still progressing as scheduled, the company said.

Sony gave the update in a new results release, which also indicated a rise in the number of people buying and downloading games during lockdowns.

"Regarding the launch of PlayStation 5, although factors such as employees working from home and restrictions on international travel have presented some challenges in regards to part of the testing process and the qualification of production lines, development is progressing with the launch of the console scheduled for the 2020 holiday season," Sony said.

"At this point in time major problems have not arisen in the game software development pipeline for Sony’s own first-party studios or its partners’ studios."

It did note that there had been some issues with production of the PlayStation 4. Many shops internationally are struggling to fulfil orders for the PlayStation, with a number of online retailers such as Amazon selling out of versions of the PlayStation 4.

"Although there has been a slight impact on production of PS4 hardware due to issues in the component supply chain, demand in the short-term is being addressed with current inventory and sales are trending well," Sony said.

"Sales of game software that is downloaded from the network, as well as PS Plus and PlayStation Now (PS Now) subscriber numbers have significantly increased."

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