Elder Scrolls VI Will Only Be Available on Xbox and PC and Won’t Be Released on the PlayStation 5 Until at Least 2026
In the gaming community, there has been a lot of expectation for Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls VI, and there have been rumors about its exclusivity. After Microsoft purchased Bethesda in 2021 for $7.5 billion, many people were uncertain about the game’s compatibility with various platforms. Elder Scrolls VI will not be coming to PlayStation, and its release on PS5 is not imminent, according to documents from Microsoft’s ongoing legal battle with the FTC that have now shed light on the matter.
The list of revealed Bethesda titles is included in the document, along with information on the platforms and anticipated release dates for each title. It clearly indicates that The Elder Scrolls VI won’t include multiplayer and won’t be released before 2026.
Given Microsoft’s prior decision to make Starfield only available on Xbox and PC after acquiring ZeniMax, the exclusion of Elder Scrolls VI from PlayStation 5 may not come as a complete surprise. Starfield’s director, Todd Howard, has said that the absence of PlayStation made the game better.
From Microsoft's responses in the FTC vs Microsoft case. Elder Scrolls VI listed here as Xbox and PC and releasing 2026 or later.
During testimony at the hearing, Xbox's Phil Spencer went on to say the game was at least five years out and platforms were technically TBD pic.twitter.com/Kto9bE5U8C
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) September 18, 2023
However, there seems to be some inconsistency between remarks made by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and the company’s official documentation. Spencer has previously stated that rather than making blanket claims regarding PlayStation 5 exclusivity, Microsoft’s game platforms are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The next Xbox and PC-only Indiana Jones game from MachineGames is also anticipated.
The Elder Scrolls VI’s platforms have not yet been decided, in part because of the game’s upcoming release, Spencer said in June as part of the Microsoft-FTC legal fight.
It’s difficult to predict what platforms will even be important at that point for Elder Scrolls VI because it’s so far off, according to Spencer. The same group is working on Starfield, which will be released in September. So we’re talking about a game that won’t be out for at least five years.
The following generation of Xbox consoles is currently being actively developed by Microsoft, and it is expected to debut in 2028. As a result, the launch of the next Xbox might coincide with the release of Elder Scrolls VI.
