Sony Says PS5 Release Date Is Still Set For 2020, Despite Global Pandemic

In its latest financial earnings presentation, Sony has explained that its hardware and software plans for the upcoming PlayStation 5 launch have been unaffected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Sony has still not yet announced a specific PS5 release date, but as of now, the plan is still to launch the console by the end of the year--though not necessarily in October--meaning it will compete directly with the Xbox Series X right out of the gate. We will likely learn more about Sony's specific plans as we move into the summer and it shares more details on the console's features and design.

In notes attached to the financial presentation, where the company lauded over 110 million PS4 console sales, Sony noted that the immediate impact of the pandemic and the shift to working from home initially presented some problems with its PS4 hardware manufacturing and software development. It clarifies that those issues have now mostly been resolved.

"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," the report reads. "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."

Sony remains confident that the pandemic will not affect plans to launch the PS5 during Holiday 2020, and that development on games for the next-generation console are equally unaffected. It does note that these predictions are made with the information available today, and that plans could always change. As a result, Sony omitted sales estimations for both the PS4 and PS5 for the coming year.

"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," the report concludes.

The report wrapped up the 2019 financial year for Sony, with the company reporting 110 million PS4 consoles sold, despite missing sales projections for the year. Digital sales were also up year-on-year, with a 51% share of all software sales.