Updated on July 19, 2025, at 15:36 BST:inan FTC document released on September 15, it was revealed that Sony “learned that [Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6] would not be available on PlayStation.” Prior to Microsoft acquiring ZeniMax, it had expected to see the two games on its platforms.
Fans have been wondering ifThe Elder Scrolls 6will be an Xbox exclusive ever sinceMicrosoft bought Bethesda in 2020. According to a newly revealed slideshow dedicated to “Microsoft’s approach following acquisitions since 2018”, it will not launch on PlayStation.
Axios reporter Stephen Totilo tweeted a photo of the slideshow which details several Bethesda games and what Microsoft plans to do with them. There are checks for whether they are existing IP, multiplayer, cross-platform, released on PlayStation, when they will be released, and what platforms they will be available on. The Elder Scrolls 6 has an ‘X’ under the PlayStation category.
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“Elder Scrolls 6 listed here as Xbox and PC and releasing 2026 or later,” Totilo said. “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 to be determined”.
The graph has proven accurate so far. In 2023, a year after this slideshow was put together,StarfieldandRedfalllaunched on Xbox and PC, but not PlayStation. While Spencer claims TES 6 is “TBD” and may not follow in these two games' footsteps, in another document from the FTC case, it was revealed that Microsoft also said in September 2022 that The Elder Scrolls 6 “is unlikely to be released for another [redacted], may be released only on Xbox and PC”.
The slideshow also includes statements on exclusivity. The Elder Scrolls 6’s section reads, “to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls 6”.
It certainly seems as though TES6 will be skipping PlayStation and opting for Xbox/PC exclusivity, but the ‘2026’ date is generous. The “or later” is much more likely as itonly just entered early development. With game development times ballooning (Starfield took over seven years to finish), it could launch as late as 2030. We’ll have to wait and see.
That means if you’re itching to play the next Elder Scrolls game, you have plenty of time to get an Xbox or PC… or find another fantasy RPG to fill the void.
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