Could the release of the Xbox Series X be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak? When asked about this, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, assures that the production lines of the console have managed to catch up. Nevertheless, he expressed concern about the consequences of the economic crisis in the United States and Europe. Under these conditions, the launch of the new Xbox, scheduled for the end of 2020, could still be delayed.
Credits: Microsoft
This Tuesday, March 24, 2020, Satya Nadella gave an interview to our colleagues at CNBC. According to him, the production of the Xbox Series X is slowly taking its course. While the epidemic is showing its first signs of abating in China, with the lifting of restrictions imposed by Beijing, Microsoft's production lines have caught up with the delay at the beginning of the year.
"On the supply side, we are back on track" assures Satya Nadella. On that side, the leader is not worried. There will be ample units in stock for the global launch of the console. On the other hand, Satya Nadella is concerned about the looming economic and financial crisis in Europe and the United States.
Read also: Forget the PS5 – Xbox Series X will be the real star of retrocompatibility
No Xbox Series X for the holiday season?
Containment measures taken by the authorities are likely to cause a major recession. In France, the government expects a recession of more than 1%. For its part, Germany even expects a 5% recession despite the billions of dollars released by central banks, including the IMF (International Monetary Fund).
In these circumstances, Satya Nadella is concerned that buyers will not be there at the launch of the Xbox. The leader wonders if consumer demand for the console will really continue despite the economic crisis. In this context, it is not impossible that Microsoft will finally decide to delay the release of the Xbox Series X.
For now, Satya Nadella says no more. One imagines that the decision should be taken in the less to come according to the proven impact of the crisis. For now, Microsoft is maintaining the launch of the Xbox Series X for the 2020 holiday season.
Source: CNBC