TL;DR: The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be available on PlayStation 5, as it’s exclusive to Xbox due to Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, leaving PlayStation fans with the choice of switching to Xbox or PC to play the game.
Will The Elder Scrolls 6 come out on PlayStation 5? Nope, it won’t. Here’s why it’s only for Xbox, and what it means for folks who love PlayStation.
This game is super duper anticipated. Lots of people love the fantasy RPG series by Bethesda Game Studios, especially on PlayStation. But here’s the bummer for PlayStation fans eager to dive into The Elder Scrolls 6 on their PlayStation 5s: it’s not happening. This game won’t show up on PlayStation 5 screens because it’s going to be an Xbox exclusive.
So, why is The Elder Scrolls 6 an Xbox-only thing? Well, it all goes back to Microsoft buying the parent company of Bethesda, ZeniMax Media, in 2020 for a whopping $7.5 billion. That made Bethesda part of Xbox Game Studios and handed Microsoft control over all of Bethesda’s games, including The Elder Scrolls.
Phil Spencer, the big cheese at Xbox, made it clear that The Elder Scrolls 6 is heading to PC and Xbox systems but not PlayStation. He says it’s not about punishing other platforms; it’s about giving Xbox players the whole shebang. He hasn’t said outright that it’s an Xbox exclusive, but he dropped hints, kinda like how Starfield, another Bethesda game, is also going Xbox-only.
Some legal stuff from the FTC v. Microsoft case backs this up too. It says The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be coming out until at least 2026, and when it does, it’s Xbox exclusive. Bethesda’s Pete Hines also teased back in 2020 that we wouldn’t get juicy details about The Elder Scrolls 6 “for years.” As of 2021, the game was still in the blueprint phase.
So, what’s the deal for PlayStation fans? Well, if you’re itching to play The Elder Scrolls 6, you’ll either need to snag an Xbox or get a PC that can handle it. There’s also the possibility of streaming it with Xbox Cloud Gaming, a thing that lets you play Xbox games on different devices without downloading them.
But let’s be real, that might not float everyone’s boat. Some PlayStation fans would rather stick to their consoles with their own controllers and settings. They might also feel a little let down by Bethesda, who has previously dropped The Elder Scrolls games on PlayStation, like Skyrim and Oblivion.
And maybe, just maybe, some PlayStation folks hold out hope that The Elder Scrolls 6 will eventually swing by on PlayStation 5 as a timed exclusive or something you can play across different platforms. But let’s face it, that’s super unlikely because Microsoft shelled out lots of money and effort to grab Bethesda and make their games just for Xbox. They’re all about pushing Xbox console sales and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, which gets you tons of games for a monthly fee.
So, PlayStation fans, you’ve got a choice to make. Either accept that The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be on your PlayStation 5, or hop on over to Xbox or PC if you really, really gotta play it. It’s a tough call for fans who’ve been holding their breath for this game for a long, long time.
In a nutshell, The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t grace your PlayStation 5. It’s all thanks to Microsoft snapping up Bethesda in 2020 and their mission to give Xbox the whole enchilada.
This means PlayStation fans who want to get in on the action will need an Xbox or a PC with some oomph, or they can cross their fingers for a cloud streaming option from Xbox Cloud Gaming. For fans who’ve cherished The Elder Scrolls on PlayStation, this news stings.
