Will The Elder Scrolls 6 release on PS5? No, it won’t. Here’s why The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive and what it means for PlayStation fans.
Table of Contents
No, The Elder Scrolls 6 will not come out for PlayStation 5.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is one of the most awaited games of all time. The fantasy RPG series by Bethesda Game Studios has a huge fan base across different platforms, including PlayStation. However, there is bad news for PlayStation fans who are looking forward to playing The Elder Scrolls 6 on their PS5 consoles. The game will not release on PS5, and will be an Xbox exclusive.
Why The Elder Scrolls 6 Will Be An Xbox Exclusive
The reason why The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive is because of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax Media in 2020 for $7.5 billion. This deal made Bethesda a part of Xbox Game Studios and gave Microsoft the rights to all of Bethesda‘s franchises, including The Elder Scrolls.
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be released on PC and Xbox systems, but not on PlayStation. He said that it’s not about punishing any other platform, but rather about bringing the full complete package of what they have to Xbox. He also said that he hasn’t decided yet if The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive or not, but he hinted that it will be similar to Starfield, another Bethesda game that has been confirmed to be an Xbox exclusive.
A recent court document revealed from the FTC v. Microsoft case also supports this claim. The document shows that The Elder Scrolls 6 is expected to be released sometime during or after 2026, and that it will be an Xbox exclusive. This is consistent with what Bethesda’s Pete Hines said in 2020, that fans shouldn’t expect details on The Elder Scrolls 6 until “years from now”. As of 2021, the game was still in the design phase.
What It Means For PlayStation Fans
The fact that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive means that PlayStation fans who want to play the game will have to either buy an Xbox console or a PC capable of running the game. Alternatively, they could hope for a cloud streaming option via Xbox Cloud Gaming, which allows playing Xbox games on various devices without downloading them.
However, this might not be a feasible or desirable option for many PlayStation fans, who might prefer to play the game on their own consoles with their own controllers and settings. They might also feel disappointed or betrayed by Bethesda, who has previously released The Elder Scrolls games on PlayStation platforms, such as Skyrim and Oblivion.
Some PlayStation fans might also hope that The Elder Scrolls 6 will eventually come to PS5 after some time, as a timed exclusive or a cross-platform release. However, this seems very unlikely, as Microsoft has invested a lot of money and resources into acquiring Bethesda and making their games exclusive to their own platforms. Microsoft’s goal is to boost the sales of Xbox consoles and subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, their gaming service that offers access to hundreds of games for a monthly fee.
Therefore, it seems that PlayStation fans will have to either accept the reality that they won’t be able to play The Elder Scrolls 6 on their PS5 consoles, or switch to Xbox or PC platforms if they really want to play the game. Either way, it’s a tough decision for many fans who have been waiting for the game for a long time.
Bottom Line
The Elder Scrolls 6 will not release on PS5, and will be an Xbox exclusive. This is because of Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda in 2020, and their plan to bring the full complete package of what they have to Xbox.
This means that PlayStation fans who want to play the game will have to either buy an Xbox console or a PC capable of running the game or hope for a cloud streaming option via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This is sad news for many fans who have enjoyed playing The Elder Scrolls games on PlayStation platforms in the past.
