Starfield Would Not Be Released In 2023 If It Was Coming To PS5

New gameplay for Starfield was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase, and it was spectacular. This gameplay helped it become the best-selling game on Steam.

Starfield is set to release on September 6, but the game has already been delayed multiple times. However, a new report reveals that Starfield would have needed even more development time if it targeted a PS5 release.

Why it matters: Starfield is a major first-party Xbox game, but its exclusivity has also been used against Microsoft during the ongoing court case against the FTC.

If Starfield was not exclusive, would it come out this year?

"In my opinion, no, this game would not be coming out in 9 weeks if we were supporting an entirely different platform."

— Derek Strickland (@DeekeTweak) June 22, 2023

This information comes from Microsoft’s case against the FTC. Pete Hines, the Head of Bethesda, discussed the exclusivity of Starfield during the court case.

As transcribed by a journalist on Twitter, Hines said:

 “In my opinion, no. this game would not be coming out in nine weeks if we were supporting an entirely different platform.”

He also said that focusing on fewer platforms has provided massive benefits to the team.

Previously, developers like Square Enix have made a similar argument for a game like Final Fantasy 16. Working on a single platform allowed the team to complete the game quicker, as it was designed around the capabilities of that particular platform.

However, a game as big as Starfield would take longer for multiple platforms. Therefore, Pete Hines and Todd Howard believe this is a good decision for the developer and the fans.

Starfield is already shaping up to be one of the biggest games in 2023. Despite being vast in scope, Matt Booty previously confirmed that the game would have the least amount of bugs from Bethesda.

Following the announcement of Starfield’s release on Xbox and PC in September, PlayStation fans created a petition to demand a PS5 release for the game. However, this seems even more unlikely after Pete Hines’ recent statement.