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Reports claim that Starfield will be an Xbox and PC exclusive, launching in Q1 2022

After some heavy speculation, it's now being reported that Starfield will not get a release on the PlayStation.

Donovan Erskine

May 18, 2021 7:50 AM

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When it was first announced that Microsoft would be acquiring ZeniMax and Bethesda, the burning question on everybody’s mind was what would Microsoft do with its newfound IP in terms of exclusivity. The idea of Microsoft taking Bethesda’s biggest franchises and making them exclusive to the Xbox and Windows could have a major impact on the gaming landscape. Now, it looks like that just may be the case. New reports are stating that Bethesda’s highly anticipated Starfield will not come to PlayStation, getting an exclusive release on Xbox and PC.

This news comes from a report made by GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb, a credible industry insider. After stating on Twitter that he had it on good authority that Starfield would be releasing exclusively for the Xbox and PC, Grubbb wrote an article further diving into the matter. Microsoft has no plans to release Starfield on the PS5, as this is another move to drive players towards Xbox Game Pass, whether that be on console or PC.

Though it may be a disappointment to PlayStation fans that were optimistic following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, this news doesn’t come as a huge shock. Microsoft spent $7.5 billion dollars on the purchase, so they’re going to want to make the most of it. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer even said back in March that some games would indeed be exclusive to the Xbox and Windows platforms. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft maintains this philosophy when it comes to The Elder Scrolls VI or the inevitable Fallout 5.

Keep in mind that although this news comes from a credible source within the gaming industry, Microsoft has yet to publicly comment or acknowledge it. That said, E3 is right around the corner, so it’s likely that we’ll learn more about Starfield then.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_