One of video game players' most highly anticipated upcoming releases is Bethesda’sStarfield. Yet due to the team behindStarfieldannouncing the game so early, much regarding it has been left to speculation and rumor. That’s only grown more true with Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda. The largest issue being confusion over what platformsStarfieldwill now be supported on. It seems that a decision has been made, however, as multiple reports claimStarfieldwill be an Xbox console exclusive.
In a short and straightforward message on Twitter Friday, GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb said, “Starfieldis exclusive to Xbox and PC. Period. This is me confirming that.” Later that day, IGN’s Mark Medina shared a similar message, stating on Twitter thatStarfieldis going to be a PC and Xbox exclusive. While neither reporter provided a source for their insider information, they both felt confident enough in the information to say it’s completely true.
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The news thatStarfieldwill be an Xbox console exclusive has surprisingly not been shared with confidence up to this point. Prior to now, it has only been said via leaks and unreliable reports. For example,insider Rand al Thorsaid the same thing as Grubb and Medina in April. Further back, Sony said in November 2020 that it wasn’t sure whetherStarfieldwould come to PlayStation platforms, leading to broad assumptions regarding Xbox exclusivity.
To be clear, the current reporting regardingStarfieldhas not been officially confirmed. It’s still possible it’s not accurate, though that seems unlikely. There is one detail about both Grubb and Medina’s Twitter posts that’s odd, however. Neither reporter makes mention ofStarfieldbeing supported viaXbox’s cloud service. That could mean thatStarfieldwon’t be available on the cloud, or it could just be that neither saw it worth mentioning. Since Xbox’s cloud service supports mobile devices and other platforms, it’s an odd omission.
The news is likely to more than disappoint PlayStation-exclusive game players. Bethesda’s releases, at least sinceThe Elder Scrolls 4: OblivionandFallout 3, have become some of the biggest multiplatform games in the industry. Bethesda even has aPlayStation exclusive inDeathloopcoming out soon. Not having access to those games without having to acquire a different platform is going to sting. Of course, PlayStation fans also likely understand the importance of platform exclusives, too. For Xbox fans, the news isn’t likely to be too impactful.
As for whenStarfield’s supported platforms will be made official, fans canlook forward to E3 2021for what’s likely to be the game’s next showcase. In the same statement Medina says thatStarfieldis a PC and Xbox exclusive, he says thatStarfieldwill be launching in 2021. News is certain to be coming soon.
