Talking Point Xbox Series X Uncertain Future
Image: Frank Micelotta / Microsoft

It's impossible to escape the discussion surrounding the Coronavirus at the moment, and like everything else, the games industry is already being affected heavily by it. This year's Games Developer Conference was postponed last month "after close consultation" with various partners in the game development industry, while rumours continue to circulate surrounding whether June's E3 expo in Los Angeles will actually go ahead, with county officials recently declaring a local and public state of emergency.

And that all leaves us all a bit unsure of how planning for the upcoming Xbox Series X will be affected. Sure, it all seems like business as usual behind the scenes at present, but even beyond the potential cancellation of various preview events leading up the console's launch, it has to be speculated whether the Series X will even be released this year at all, especially considering its Holiday 2020 target date.

In fact. it's not just speculation. Business Insider reported back in February that both the Xbox Series X and PS5 could be delayed due to the coronavirus, citing a note from financial services company Jefferies Group which noted the possibility of delays for Microsoft and Sony's consoles.

"If [company] shutdowns exceed a month or so, game schedules will be delayed. New consoles may likewise suffer supply issues from a prolonged disruption, ahead of their Fall 2020 planned launches."

Why? Well, the consoles are being manufactured in China, which at the time of writing has over 80,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with many businesses having been affected, including manufacturing giant Foxconn. Microsoft have yet to comment publically about any delays regarding the production of the Xbox Series X, but there's every chance things are progressing slower than expected behind the scenes.

Talking Point Xbox Series X Uncertain Future 1
Image: Microsoft

The Xbox Series X was originally announced back at E3 2019 as Project Scarlett before receiving its official name at the Game Awards last December. And since then, Microsoft has done much of its talking online. There hasn't yet been a big preview event or press conference for the upcoming console - something the company held for the Xbox One back in May 2013 - and at this rate, we may not be getting one at all.

But one of the major differences compared to the original launch of the Xbox One is the amount of information we already know about Xbox Series X. In recent weeks, we've been treated to a bunch of specs for the new console, including new details on features such as "Smart Delivery" and backwards compatibility, and the trend looks set to continue as we get closer to release.

It's actually feasible that the company might resist holding a press conference at all, choosing instead to drip-feed information on a semi-regular basis leading up to launch. The main question point relates to the games - the details of which are probably being held back for Microsoft's much-anticipated E3 press conference, but if it doesn't go ahead, we may well be getting that information sooner than expected.

Talking Point Xbox Series X Uncertain Future 2

At least the games themselves should remain mostly unaffected. Xbox Game Studio boss Matt Booty's announcement that all of Microsoft's titles would work across Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC for the next couple of years garnered a somewhat mixed response at the time, with some suggesting there should be a focus on Series X exclusives, but it's a move that could very much work in Microsoft's favour during any potential delays, especially when factoring in the "Smart Delivery" feature of the upcoming console.

We don't know everything about Smart Delivery just yet, but it's theoretically possible that you could buy the Xbox One version of Halo Infinite in Holiday 2020, and get a free upgrade to the Xbox Series X version a few months later should the console be delayed. For any other companies who choose to opt into Smart Delivery (such as CD Projekt, who have already confirmed Cyberpunk 2077's participation), the same applies.

As a worst case scenario, Series X developers may get some extra time to polish their games. We all know how rough around the edges some Xbox launch titles have proven to be in the past (we're looking at you, Fighter Within), and a bit of extra time could only be a good thing in these cases. So perhaps we don't need to be worried. Well, we do need to be worried about the Coronavirus. But regardless of whether the Xbox Series X ultimately gets delayed, there are still plenty of reasons to remain excited about all things Xbox in the meantime.

Let us know how you think the Xbox Series X launch will pan out this year. Will the console be delayed to 2021? Sound off your thoughts and theories in the comments below.