Starfield is set to release in 2022 exclusively for PC and Xbox. Players are disappointed that it will not be available for PlayStation 5. Now, one of the bosses at Bethesda, Todd Howard, has explained that there is a good reason for this decision.
Who is speaking? Todd Howard is the Game Director and Executive Producer for Bethesda Game Studios. He is responsible for the development of the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series and is also in charge of Starfield. He runs Bethesda together with Ashley Cheng, the Studio Director.
This is what he says: In an interview with the online magazine Telegraph, he was asked about Starfield and the console exclusivity for Xbox (via Telegraph.co.uk).
In 2020, Microsoft acquired Bethesda, surprising many players. When Telegraph asked him if he had concerns about having to choose a side (Xbox or PlayStation) after the acquisition, he replied:
‘Choose a side’ means… PlayStation? Is that what you mean? Well… a little bit. You don’t want to leave anyone out, right? But at the end of the day, you are able to focus and say: This is the game I want to make, these are the platforms I want to make it on, and when you’re able to concentrate on those platforms, you will get a better product.
Todd Howard, via Telegraph.co.uk.
Thus, he makes it quite clear that it is easier for game development when you only have to focus on one platform.
Developing only for Xbox and PC helps make better games in the long run
In the long run, according to Todd Howard, it could be an advantage for developers. Because Todd explains in the interview:
If you focus on these platforms, you can really focus on making it as good as possible for those systems. […] And we firmly believe in all the ways that Xbox and Microsoft are working to bring games to more people. Whether that’s the integration with PC, which is huge for us, the cloud streaming, and all these things. I think it’s about having a long-term perspective.
Todd Howard, via Telegraph.co.uk.
What’s behind it? Todd’s statement also makes sense from a technical standpoint. Because Windows PC and Xbox are much more similar to each other than Xbox and PlayStation, even though both Xbox and PlayStation 5 have similar hardware.
- Both Xbox and PC essentially use the same DirectX API from Microsoft. An API is an application programming interface that developers use for their games.
- Sony uses a different API for its PlayStation than Microsoft. Therefore, Bethesda would have to adjust every game specifically for the PlayStation.
Although PC and Xbox are still two different platforms, developers need similar knowledge for both platforms.
If you choose to leave one platform out, you save additional effort in game development.
And thanks to Game Pass, PC and Xbox are increasingly coming together. Also, Game Pass and cloud streaming will play an increasingly significant role, Todd explains.
Todd is not alone in his opinion about Starfield
Who else is commenting on this? Todd’s colleague, Bethesda’s Vice President Peter Hines, sees it very similarly to Todd Howard. In an interview with GameSpot, he explains what the advantage is when developing exclusively for a specific platform (via YouTube.com):
You don’t think about ‘How does it work on this box and how on that one? We are not making it for that box, so it has to run as well as possible on this box, [and] on PC. A tighter focus always helps.
Peter Hines, in an interview with GameSpot, via YouTube.com.
Therefore, exclusivity doesn’t only apply to Xbox: Hines explains in the same interview that this exclusivity can work in both directions.
As an example, he mentions the new shooter Deathloop. Here, they decided to develop for PlayStation 5 and PC. Hines says: “When we chose to partner with Sony for Deathloop and the game became exclusive to that platform, the development became more streamlined because we said: ‘PS5 and PC, that’s what we’re focusing on.'”
Currently, the next-gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are an important topic, and in this context, many players are considering which console to buy. After Bethesda’s acquisition by Microsoft, PS5 players are worried about new Bethesda games.
