An Epic Games announcement for a Fortnite retail bundle may have just revealed a potential launch date window for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
On August 15th, Epic Games announced The Last Laugh Bundle for Fortnite (a cross-over event with Batman characters) launching November 17th. As reported on DualShockers, what caught the attention of some on Reddit was the following sentence on the physical release.
“The retail version is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. It will also arrive in time for the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X next-generation consoles.”
On August 11th, it was announced that the Xbox Series X would launch in November. As for the PlayStation 5, Bloomberg had previously used their sources to report that Sony were taking a “wait-and-see approach“ to the console’s pricing. It seems this may also be their approach to the console’s release date, so far being Holiday 2020.
Epic Games’ statement seems to imply the bundle will launch close to the launch of both next-gen consoles. If the consoles were launching after November 17th, we’d see words to the effect of “the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions will arrive when they launch;” or some other distinction that the release dates are different to the current gen console versions.
If the above information is accurate, it may mean both consoles will launch before November 17th. Theories in the Reddit thread are circling around November 13th to the 20th. The PlayStation 4 launched in North America on November 15th, 2013. The Xbox One launched on November 22nd, 2013.
There were also similar dates for the prior console generation, with the PlayStation 3 launching on November 17th, 2006. Though a year prior, the Xbox 360 launched on November 22nd, 2005.
While we may be seeing the Xbox Series X launch earlier than the prior two consoles, the 13th to 20th range would make sense for the PlayStation 5. Both the PlayStation 4 and 3 launched on a Friday as well. This may mean we see the PlayStation 5 launch on Friday the 13th of November; though November 6th could be viable.
However, the ongoing disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic will surely hinder plans as the situation changes. This also includes the riots and looting across North America; which could disrupt sales in stores, or Black Friday 2020.
For example, Sony is reportedly planning to double its production of PlayStation 5 units to 10 million, as more people have been stuck at home and have started gaming. This is a far cry from earlier this year, where Bloomberg reported that Sony would limit the PlayStation 5’s production in its first year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What do you expect the release dates for both next-gen consoles to be? Sound off in the comments below!
Image: Epic Games, YouTube, Xbox Wire
