If GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb is correct, that hope appears to be dashed. 'Starfield is for Xbox and PC only. Limited time only," he tweeted. 'This is what I've been able to confirm.'
If you were lucky enough to find a PS5 restock and happen to like Bethesda games like "The Elder Scrolls" or "Fallout," this is not a good story. There are also timed exclusives, where the game is released on another format at a later date (in fact, this includes "Deathloop," a Bethesda-published title for PS5), but the use of the word "timed" after Grubb's statement suggests that Starfield's prospects are not particularly not seem particularly bright.
On one level, this is not so surprising. After all, one would not spend $7.5 billion just to share a product with a nemesis. On the other hand, if years of work had already been spent on versions for PS4 and PS5 before Microsoft's plans were revealed, it seems a bit wasteful to waste millions of dollars worth of potential sales. Additionally, Microsoft continues to support Minecraft on PlayStation after spending $2.5 billion in 2014.
However, it has been clear for some time that Microsoft was leaning toward an exclusivity deal with Bethesda; eight months ago, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the company would consider titles on a "case-by-case basis," but exclusivity was part of the company's plan. He said
"We want the Xbox ecosystem to be the absolute best place to play, and we think the availability of games is absolutely part of that."
After the acquisition was approved in March, Spencer made his stance even clearer. Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best places to experience new Bethesda games, including new titles that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players in the future," he said.
So there is no shortage of reasons to seek out the Xbox Series X and try to find a promising Xbox Series X restock. That said, the flagship Xbox is a great console regardless of Starfield and is a great platform for playing Xbox games, new and old.
Of course, depending on how well Xbox Game Pass streaming works in the long run, PlayStation owners might be able to subscribe temporarily and have their Starfield fix delivered remotely to their phones or tablets. Alternatively, the Xbox Series S would be an attractive secondary console for those who have splurged on the PS5 but cannot let go of their vast Bethesda adventures.
Starfield is still a game shrouded in mystery, but it won't be long before more details are revealed. Earlier this week, concept art for the game was leaked to Reddit and then quickly removed, suggesting that a 2021 release is not impossible. Noteworthy.
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