Bethesda's Pete Hines Apologizes to PS5 Players Over Xbox Exclusivity

At E3 2021, Xbox confirmed that Bethesda's Starfield will be exclusive to PC and Xbox Series X, dashing some hopes that the game might release on PlayStation 5. Microsoft purchased Bethesda and its parent company ZeniMax Media earlier this year, but some had assumed that Bethesda games would still see release on multiple platforms. In an interview with GameSpot, Bethesda's SVP of global marketing and communications Pete Hines offered an apology to PS5 owners, claiming that he understands the frustration, but there's also very little that he can do about the situation. At the end of the day, it seems that the exclusivity is just part of game publisher politics!

"I don't know how to allay the fears and concerns of PlayStation 5 fans other than to say, well, I'm a PlayStation 5 player as well, and I've played games on that console, and there's games I'm gonna continue to play on it," Hines told GameSpot. "But you know if you wanna play Starfield... PC and Xbox... sorry. All I can really say is, 'I apologize,' because I'm certain that that's frustrating to folks, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it."

Console exclusives have been a reality of the video game industry for decades, and it seems unlikely that we'll see them come to an end anytime soon. Microsoft paid an unprecedented amount to purchase Bethesda; getting bigger exclusives like Starfield means that Xbox platforms become more appealing for those on the fence. For some PlayStation fans, it's easy to see how this could be disappointing, but the same can be said for some of PlayStation's exclusives, as well.

Of course, Starfield won't be released until 2022, so it remains to be seen whether or not it will live up to the hype. The game's appearance at E3 looked promising, and everything we've heard about Starfield makes it seem like it will be one to watch out for. However, fans will just have to wait and see if it can deliver on its promise!

Starfield will release exclusively on PC and Xbox platforms. You can check out our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you looking forward to Starfield? Are you disappointed that game will only release on Xbox? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!