The video game industry, like many others, has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Major gaming conventions and events were canceled. Video games have been delayed as developers shift to remote working setups. All for good reason: these cancelations, delays, and adjustments have been crucial for ensuring the safety of the people who make and play games.
In November, the pandemic will affect the industry’s new console season, with the launch of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Fans will face an unusual and timely question: Is it safe to shop in person for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X during launch?
Sony announced in early November that it won’t sell the PlayStation 5 in retail stores on launch day, a measure to keep crowds limited. “Please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase,” Sony Interactive Entertainment communications director Sid Shuman wrote. “Be safe, stay home, and place your order online.” People with in-store pickups at local retailers will be able to do so at “designated appointment time[s],” Sony said. Likewise, Best Buy and Walmart announced Thursday that it will only sell its consoles online, too.
But on Nov. 10 and 12, when the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are released, respectively, stores may still be more crowded than normal, which puts both employees and shoppers at risk. Sony’s policy may help mitigate crowds at stores during the console launch day. However, some shoppers may be undeterred, which could be a problem.
To answer the question of whether it’s safe to shop in person for new consoles, Polygon spoke to epidemiologists and health experts to determine the risks of a crowded console launch. To put it bluntly, crowds at stores on Nov. 10 and 12 — and, of course, other days — are unsafe for shoppers and employees.
What’s going on with the next-gen console launch?
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launches will be held during another surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States. On Nov. 4, the United States had its first-ever day with over 100,000 new COVID-19 cases, and cases have been steadily rising for weeks.
Rules for gatherings, both inside and outside, vary by country and state, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that in-person gatherings are higher risk activities, and that people should implement social distancing and mask wearing to reduce spread. Risk goes up as the number of people increases, as well as how long the people are gathered together. Community transmission rates are also important to keep an eye on — a higher rate means higher risk.
There is no way to make sure that it’s 100% safe to visit a store in-person. The safest way to make sure you don’t contract COVID-19 is to stay home, according to Dr. Krysia Lindan, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at University of San Francisco.
That said, it doesn’t necessarily...
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