Yesterday, Microsoft acquired gaming giant Bethesda. This raises concerns among players wanting to buy a PS5: Will future games such as The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, or a possible Fallout 5 be available for their console, or will they remain exclusive to PC and Xbox Series X? The head of Xbox has now commented on this and sows further doubts.
That’s the big question: After the acquisition of Bethesda, players currently on PS4 and soon transitioning to PS5 are wondering: Will the new Bethesda games still come to our console?
It seems clear that Microsoft, with the purchase of Bethesda for 7.5 billion US dollars, could secure exclusive rights and exclude the PS5 if they choose to do so.
Bethesda has also announced 2 games as “timed exclusive PS5 titles”: Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo. The question remains whether these titles will remain exclusive to the PlayStation 5 or if this deal will now be rescinded.
We will decide on a case-by-case basis
This is what the Xbox head says: In an interview with Bloomberg, Phil Spencer states that he will honor existing agreements. The two Bethesda titles will therefore initially be exclusive to PS5 – as promised.
New titles from Bethesda, such as Starfield will be brought to Xbox, to PC, and into the Microsoft Game Pass.
Regarding Bethesda games on other consoles, Spencer states:
“We will decide on a case-by-case basis whether games will come to other consoles.”
Phil Spencer
In an interview with CNBC, Phil Spencer says:
“The assurances we have already made and that people are aware of, we will continue to uphold.
The thing is: This is really a big investment in the Xbox community.
The Xbox community knows the great games from ZeniMax and all their studios – we now have 23 studios within Xbox. These games will come to the Xbox community, they will be available in the Game Pass, and people will have a fantastic collection of games they can play on Xbox.”
Phil Spencer
Spencer is not planning to reassure PS5 buyers
This is what’s behind it: Spencer is taking a dual approach:
- He emphasizes the attractiveness of Xbox through the Xbox Game Pass and that this attractiveness has now increased further. He underscores the strengths of Xbox.
- However, he leaves the issue of exclusive titles open. This sows doubts as to whether titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 or Starfield will be playable on PlayStation 5. He speaks little about this aspect but lets the “danger” linger in the air and does not plan to capture it.
This is surely a tactic to further influence many players’ purchasing decisions between PS5 and Xbox Series X in the coming weeks.
Spencer stands to gain nothing by saying: “Yes, Starfield will obviously also be available for PS5.” With his answer, he keeps all options open.
At the moment, many buyers are deciding whether to get the PS5 or the Xbox Series X in the coming weeks. In the last console generation, the majority of players opted for a PlayStation 4.
This generation appears to have a more open race, as can be seen from a recent survey by MeinMMO:
Xbox Series X vs PS5: Your interest in Xbox has never been stronger
