Summary
- Xbox reversed course, moving from sharing titles to re-embracing console exclusives.
- CEO Asha Sharma declined to confirm if The Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox console exclusive.
- Project Helix rumors and Xbox’s indecision could make Elder Scrolls VI PC availability uncertain.
The Xbox gaming scene is a little strange right now. This time last year, Xbox was moving to scrap as many of its exclusivity deals as possible, allowing its titles to migrate over to rival consoles and PCs. It seemed to be working (to the point where Xbox games dominated the PlayStation’s top-selling charts), but recently, the new Xbox CEO has pulled back, instead citing exclusives as required for the brand.
Now, in an interview, the CEO seemingly didn’t want to confirm that The Elder Scrolls VI won’t become a console exclusive, and while it may be nothing, it’s also a little scary.
It’s still too early to say either way.
In an interview with the BBC, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma took some time to explain what’s happening with Team Green. The interview covers a wide range of topics, but one area the interviewer touched upon was the Xbox division’s renewed drive for console exclusives. When asked what titles Xbox considers as exclusives and mentioning The Elder Scrolls VI as a potential candidate, Sharma says:
“…every platform needs some form of exclusive experiences and content. We shared Gears [of War: E-Day] and Clockwork [Revolution]. We’re going to do the best we can to continue to do that, all in the context of the business being healthy. We have to balance that.”
When pressed on whether this means The Elder Scrolls VI will be a console exclusive, Sharma says:
“It’s a beautiful game.”
It doesn’t confirm that The Elder Scrolls VI will come to PC, but it doesn’t outright deny it either. My personal guess is that Sharma is playing it safe while the Xbox team continues to develop Project Helix, the codename for its upcoming console. There are rumors that Project Helix will be a Windows 11 PC in disguise, which, if true, would likely mean that The Elder Scrolls VI will also arrive on PC.
However, given Microsoft’s recent internal shift toward exclusives, the Redmond giant may have canned the idea of running Project Helix off Windows and will instead develop proprietary software so that PC gamers will need to purchase an Xbox to access its exclusives. I think Microsoft is currently going to-and-fro on whether or not it wants to do this, which is why Sharma couldn’t flat-out confirm or deny that it’ll be a console exclusive. Either way, it’s worth keeping in mind when more Elder Scrolls VI news drops.
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