Phil Spencer reconfirms Xbox Series X hasn't been delayed by COVID-19, but warns that some games could be pushed back
Phil Spencer calls game production "the bigger unknown" surrounding COVID-19's impact on the industry
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has offered an update on COVID-19's impact on the company's upcoming schedule, confirming that its next gen console the Xbox Series X remains on track for its Holiday 2020 launch window despite lockdown measures implemented across the globe in response to the virus' continuing spread.
“Overall, I think we’re in line with where we thought we would be,” explained Spencer during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley.”
“I’d say the bigger unknown is probably the game production. Game production is a large scale entertainment activity now, you have hundreds of people coming together, building assets, working through creative.”
So far, Halo Infinite remains the only known Xbox Series X launch title scheduled to release on the same day as the console later this year, but - just yesterday - Microsoft revealed the date for a new episode of Inside Xbox which plans to unveil more titles slated to hit the platform, alongside a first look at gameplay for the recently announced Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
On the other side of the next gen battlefield, Sony has also clarified that a PS5 delay is not yet being considered as a viable option for the company, which is also releasing two major PS4 exclusives, The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, over the Summer.
Be sure to stick to GamesRadar for all and every new piece of next-gen news as it lands, including full coverage of next week's Xbox Series X gameplay debut.
For more, check out more upcoming PS4 games for 2020 and beyond, or watch our next gen episode of Dialogue Options below.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
I'm GamesRadar's Features Writer, which makes me responsible for gracing the internet with as many of my words as possible, including reviews, previews, interviews, and more. Lucky internet!