Bethesda Softworks' upcomingStarfieldhas been one of the most hotly anticipated titles in recent memory. Players got particularly more excited at the potential when Microsoft acquired the studio’s parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion last year. There was a lot of ambiguity surroundingStarfield’sexclusivity to Microsoft’s platforms, but some of those doubts are starting to turn into hype after the game’s reveal trailer at E3 2021.
There’s little doubt thatBethesda Softworks is the biggest studio in ZeniMax Media’s roster of subsidiaries, and with Todd Howard leading the charge forStarfield, fan expectations are high for the studio’s newest IP. However, it’s an even bigger gamble for Microsoft, since Starfield is the first in the line of Bethesda titles exclusive to Xbox platforms.
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Starfield: Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Whilethe topic ofStarfieldexclusivity is certainly an interesting conceptto speculate on, head of Xbox Phil Spencer seems to be content about recouping on the $7.5 billion investment, even if Bethesda games won’t hypothetically see more sales on other platforms. Of course, there’s always the fact that investments in games could yield benefits much further down the line. Studios could start delivering more exclusives that may potentially compel customers to buy an Xbox Series console in the future.
Director Todd Howard also seems to be content aboutStarfieldbeing an Xbox exclusive. The shift to a single platform is relieving for developers, as everything can be specifically curated for the available horsepower, without having to hold ambitions back. This is more so apparent with Bethesda’s epic open-world games, which have a lot of moving parts, which by extension mean more bugs. Instead of trying to make the game function smoothly across several platforms, the team can instead redirect that manpower to fix all nagging issues and work on better content on one (or inStarfield’s case, two with PC).
However, the SVP of Global Marketing and Communications at Bethesda seems to be apologetic about the sudden changes in development.Starfieldwas originally revealed a long time ago, probably before talks of the acquisition even began to take place. It wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if Bethesda actually scrapped the PS5 version mid-development due to contractual obligations following the acquisition, but there’s no backing evidence to prove such a claim. It’s understandable that many fans might have bought PS5 consoles tangentially in hopes of playingStarfield, but there seems to be no hope of the game coming to those platforms, at least at launch.
Starfield Is Bethesda’s Newest IP In 25 Years
When it comes to thepotential ofStarfieldserving as a system-seller for Xbox, there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding that as well.Starfieldis the studio’s newest IP in 25 years, and thus doesn’t enjoy the same credibility that its existing IPs have, such asThe Elder ScrollsandFallout. That’s not to say thatStarfieldisn’t a highly-anticipated release, far from it. However, given how little fans know about it up until now, it doesn’t seem as thoughStarfieldwould be the game for which fans will get an Xbox Series console later next year. Not much ofStarfieldhas been revealed yet, so it’s hard to say for certain.
Xbox has shown a lot during this year’s E3, but many of those studios have yet to prove themselves following the studio acquisitions, as Xbox still comparatively lacks in console exclusives. PlayStation on the other hand might still be relying on its tried-and-tested AAA blockbusters, but the tactics seem to be working extremely well in its favor. PS5 consoles seem to be outselling Xbox almost everywhere, which can be attributed to the sheer anticipation fans have for upcoming games likeHorizon Forbidden WestandGod ofWar’s “Ragnarok” sequel.
However, fans flocking to the Xbox side of things are greatly influenced by theprogressive moves Xbox has been takingwith Xbox Game Pass. The entirety of the platform’s first-party content is and will be available on day one with a $10 subscription. Keeping that in mind,Starfieldmight be one of the aces up Microsoft’s sleeve, but isn’t the only driving factor for Xbox to get a leg-up over PlayStation in the future.
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Starfield’s Exclusivity Might Not Even Be A Gamble
As mentioned before, Xbox isn’t solely relying on its first-party content to adopt more consumer loyalty. While the giant now has almost two dozen studios under its belt that are sure to give fans an influx of potentially great content in the near future, Microsoft’s biggest ace is undoubtedly Xbox Game Pass. It’s more than just a games subscription service, it’s an umbrella under which Microsoft seems to be changing the gaming market.
The giant doesn’t seem to be keen on selling hardware, instead making most of the technology to expand the horizons of the Xbox platform. WhileSony might be outselling Mircosoft’s consoles 2 to 1as per reports, the latter is also investing a decent chunk of its produced hardware into its cloud offerings. Essentially anyone with a Game Pass subscription and a smartphone can enjoy high-quality games, which will most probably includeStarfieldin the future.
Thus it’s not exactly any “gamble” per se, that’s going to be the sole driving factor in making Xbox “win” the generation. Of course, there’s always the possibility that something like this could happen ifStarfieldmanages to turn out so well that it surpasses all expectations. However for now,Starfieldis seemingly just one part of Microsoft’s grand plan for Xbox this console generation.
Starfieldreleases July 22, 2025, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
