Over the weekend, rumblings about Xbox’s immediate plans have dominated headlines: it reportedly is preparing to release its exclusives to other platforms, namely PlayStation 5.
According to rumors, Microsoft isn’t happy with the current numbers that Xbox is posting, which is why it’s considering what’s basically the video game industry’s equivalent of waving the red flag. Starfield, the console’s flagship title, is expected to launch on PS5, presumably after the Shattered Space DLC comes out. We can only assume that it will come in the form of a bundle, similar to the Legendary Edition for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Apparently, this is also true for Xbox’s other upcoming exclusives, including Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which are all coming out this year. Thus, we can only assume that this applies to other titles further into the future, namely, The Elder Scrolls VI.
The Elder Scrolls 6 exists. Bethesda confirmed this many years ago, although it does regret showing it off too early. But for the better part of the past year, Xbox drilled into the minds of audiences one thing: Xbox is working on exclusive titles that will never be available on other platforms, specifically PlayStation.
Starfield is exclusive to Xbox Series S/X for this reason. The same logic applies to Redfall, although there’s much less uproar when the game is barely holding on to dear life.
Basically, everything BUT Call of Duty would become exclusive to Xbox as soon as Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard.
By the looks of things, this no longer seems to be the case, which therefore possibly means that the next Elder Scrolls game and maybe even Fallout 5 are all coming to PlayStation platforms eventually after a certain period of exclusivity.
This isn’t like what Sony does with third-party exclusives. Microsoft presumably invested in ZeniMax Media and Activision Blizzard to boost its revenue and match up better against its main competition. It’s as if Xbox wasted billions to have first-party studios only to release its games on other platforms. Sure, delaying the game’s PlayStation launch will encourage some players to support Xbox Series S/X, but Xbox’s pull as a brand isn’t that strong. What’s stopping the vast majority from waiting things out?
The PlayStation 5 has outsold the Xbox Series S/X by nearly three-to-one. This isn’t going to change anytime soon. If anything, this will get worse once Xbox’s few exclusives will become available on PlayStation.
This reveal isn’t official yet, but some are already assuming that this will eventually lead to a time when Xbox will stop selling consoles.
As for The Elder Scrolls 6, the size and scope of Bethesda’s games suggest it will take a while to get here. We should probably throw out the game’s previous 2026 release window. TES 6 will likely be ready by 2027 if not 2028, at which point, it will likely be for the PlayStation 6 instead. If so, it’ll be safe to assume that Fallout 5 won’t be here until the 2030s.
Given this likely development, you won’t have to spend more buying another gaming console if you want to enjoy all your favorite games. Sure, it isn’t good for the “console wars” but it’s better for everybody, right?
