For many years the likes of PC, PlayStation and Xbox have been enjoying the fruits of Bethesda’s labour, but that is slowly beginning to change.
In September 2020, Microsoft snapped up Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion. Meaning that properties such as Fallout and The Elder Scrolls would be Xbox-first-party brands. That being said, pre-existing titles such as Fallout 4 and Skyrim remained multiplatform.
Check out The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion trailer below!
What’s more, due to pre-existing deals, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo were timed exclusives on PlayStation, both of which are now not only available on Xbox but are also included in Xbox Game Pass. The tide began to change when the likes of Redfall and Starfield became console exclusives on Xbox. However, trust me, PlayStation gamers aren't missing anything when it comes to Redfall, and it is most certainly a bullet dodged.
Going forward, it’s more than likely that The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 will also be exclusive to the green brand. Recently, due to Microsoft’s court battle with the US market regulator the FTC over its now finalised Activision Blizzard acquisition, plans were revealed that Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remasters are on the way.
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At this point considering that Microsoft now owns Bethesda, it’s pretty much a given that both of the aforementioned remasters would end up being exclusive to Xbox as well as PC. Yet, as both original games were also released on PS3, there may have been at least a glimmer of hope that they might also come to modern PlayStation consoles. Unfortunately, that might not be the case.
While not knowing whether or not the sources are credible, Colt Eastwood said during an episode of the XNC Podcast that both remasters will be Xbox console exclusives. That being said, if this news ends up being true, I doubt it would surprise the masses.
It’s worth keeping in mind that both remasters wouldn't have been totally exclusive on PlayStation and neither has been announced, so nothing has technically been taken away. Yet, if it wasn't for the Bethesda takeover, both remasters would have likely been available on both Xbox and PlayStation. Regardless, we should take these rumours with a pinch of salt until proven otherwise.
Both Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion are backwards compatible on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, as well as being included with Xbox Game Pass with all previously released DLC.
Topics: Xbox, PlayStation, Bethesda