According to Bethesda’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing and communications, Starfield would have been delayed even more if it had also been released on PlayStation 5. Pete Hines commented on the development of Xbox console exclusives such as Redfall and Starfield during the trials between Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, and the Federal Trade Commission, as reported by IGN, saying that it is easier to ensure the quality of titles coming on fewer platforms because more rounds of quality assurance testing can be held.
With Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda in September 2020, Xbox made one of the greatest announcements ever. Not just Bethesda, but also ZeniMax, the parent firm, permitted Xbox to use Starfield and other upcoming games from Bethesda’s library.
After acquiring Bethesda, Microsoft decided to try and acquire Activision Blizzard to increase the scope of its spending power. As a result of Microsoft’s ongoing legal dispute with the US Federal Trade Commission, which poses a danger to halting the $68.7 billion acquisition, this deal has not gone as smoothly as the Bethesda one.
Speaking particularly about Starfield, Pete Hines stated that the game would not be released in nine weeks if it had to support another platform, in this case, the PlayStation 5.
Given what Bethesda showed of the game earlier this month during the Xbox Showcase, it’s not surprising that Starfield would have to be delayed even further if it was also coming to PlayStation 5.
After all, the sheer number of potential planets and the possibilities provided by such a big game world would have necessitated considerable testing across all platforms.
On September 6th, Starfield will be released worldwide for PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. The game will be accessible on September 1st for anyone who purchases the Premium or Constellation Editions of the game.
