- Starfield was initially pitched as a multi-platform Bethesda RPG.
- A PS5 version of the game was worked on until 2021.
- Microsoft bought Bethesda Softworks in the same year and canceled this version.
It’s no secret that Starfield was initially meant to launch as a multi-platform Bethesda RPG. However, recent documents have revealed that PlayStation was already interested in exclusivity for the game.
These plans were abandoned after Microsoft bought all of Bethesda Softworks and sacrificed millions of sales, but a developer’s LinkedIn profile shows how long multiple versions of the game existed.
According to the profile, Starfield was being worked on for the PS5 till 2021.
Why it matters: The team likely made plenty of progress on this version since Bethesda focused on polishing after 2022. Therefore, the game was nearly finished.
This information comes from Jason Tonks’ LinkedIn profile. The developer worked as a 3D Artist for Bethesda Game Studios. According to his description, three versions of the game existed at one point.
Interestingly, the profile records development until 2021. This was the same year Microsoft completed its Bethesda Softworks purchase, likely scrapping any progress that was made on PlayStation.
Since Sony was the lead console manufacturer at the time, it is reasonable to assume Bethesda targeted PS5 as the primary console platform. Other developers have also confirmed this approach.
Therefore, the team may have needed to fundamentally change its development on consoles. While Microsoft engineers helped with this transition, Starfield still launched with a slew of technical problems, like long loading screens and poor performance on PCs.
With Starfield becoming an exclusive, Bethesda Game Studios was able to launch the RPG through Game Pass. This led to millions flooding the game at launch, making it one of the developer’s biggest releases to date.
Recent rumors have suggested Microsoft plans to develop a PS5 version again, though Phil Spencer has denied the reports.
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