In recent interview with CNBC, Microsoft’s head of Xbox and vice president of gaming, Phil Spencer, assured eager gamers that the latest Xbox console, the Xbox Series X, that they should expect the console to release on time — in time for the 2020 holiday season — despite COVID-19’s impact on production across the globe.
But games for the Xbox Series X, on the other hand, may face major delays, The Verge reports. As game development is a largely collaborative effort that requires sharing incredibly large files, working from home can be much more difficult for developers than for most people, as home internet connections aren’t equipped for the load that game development puts on them.
“On the game production side, we’re learning every day,” Spencer told The Verge. “I still feel good about it, but I also need to make sure that the security and safety of the teams is the most important thing, and not unduly push when things just aren’t ready.”
The coronavirus has already delayed the arrival of several highly anticipated games set to be released this year, BGR reports, as “Minecraft Dungeons,” “Wasteland 3,” “The Last of Us 2” and “Ghost of Tsushima” have all pushed back their release dates.
According to Polygon, Microsoft will be debuting a first look at Xbox Series X gameplay on May 7, with a look into the latest Assassin’s Creed game, “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.”