The next generation of console hardware is right around the corner, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X set for release this holiday season. Sony has got its hands on a lot of triple-A exclusives for the Playstation 5 that are drawing many gamers towards the console, but Microsoft shouldn't be counted out.
Indeed, the PS5 is expected to sell twice as the Xbox Series X over the next 5 years, but those projections may be about to change. RPG fans should not sleep on the Xbox Series X, which is set up to have some the most anticipated new RPG IPs as well as returning favorites. With more and more games become exclusives and limited-time exclusives for the two platforms as the consoles enter the next generation, here are a few reasons fans of roleplaying games should not write off the Xbox Series X.
The Bethesda Buyout
Zenimax was purchased by Microsoft last week for $7.5 billion. Zenimax is Bethesda’s parent company, and this could make a huge difference in the battle for new console exclusives. If The Elder Scrolls 6 was a timed exclusive for the Xbox Series X that could change the whole landscape of the RPG market. The Elder Scrolls 6 is rumored to be set for release in 2025, which, if the initial sales predictions hold true, could still allow Sony the time to sell double the amount of consoles as Microsoft. Nonetheless, this mostly serves as an endcap to an initial array of games.
The deal also means that the Fallout games could be Xbox exclusives, as well as the next game coming from Bethesda, the space epic open-world RPG Starfield. Starfield will be Bethesda’s first new IP outing in 25 years, and will likely draw a lot of attention from gamers especially as little news comes out about their famous established franchises. Not only that, but Bethesda’s main rival in the first-person RPG market, Obsidian Entertainment, was bought by Microsoft back in 2018.
Other Exclusive RPGs
Obsidian’s last big RPG, The Outer Worlds, was available on both the Xbox and the PS4. However, this was made possible by the fact that the studio had begun working on the satirical science fiction RPG before Obsidian was bought by Microsoft. It is likely that any sequel to The Outer Worlds will be an Xbox exclusive. Furthermore, Obsidian’s Avowed is a hotly anticipated title which seems to be going for The Elder Scrolls’ crown as king of the first-person fantasy RPGs and will almost certainly remain an Xbox exclusive, especially as Sony holds onto some big names like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls.
For first-person RPG fans, the Xbox Series X could be the way to go, holding the exclusive rights to Starfield, Fallout, The Outer Worlds, Avowed, and The Elder Scrolls 6. Not only that, but the platform will also see the return of the Fable franchise with the Fable reboot also set to be an Xbox Series X exclusive.
Some of the biggest upcoming and returning names in RPGs will likely be Xbox and PC exclusives, intentionally leaving out the PS5 in order to offset the predicted success of Sony’s rival console. With Microsoft potentially interested in buying more game developers after its Bethesda purchase, RPG fans should keep an eye on the exclusive lists before making their decision this holiday season.
The Xbox Series X and Series S will release November 10.