Some new Bethesda games are Xbox, PC exclusives, Microsoft confirms

Microsoft officially confirms some of Bethesda's new titles will be exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC, and kept off of the PlayStation platform.

Today Microsoft announced it has acquired ZeniMax Media and all of its subsidiaries, which includes eight studios (Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios). Content and IP were the major motivations for the $7.5 billion buyout, and Microsoft plans to add value to the Xbox ecosystem by making certain games exclusive to both Xbox consoles and PC.

"As we shared previously, it's vitally important that Bethesda continues making games the way it always has. We look forward to empowering Bethesda's creative teams to reach even more players around the world, helping make future Bethesda titles the biggest and most popular games in their history. Xbox and Bethesda have long shared a common vision for the future of gaming. Both as fans and as creators, Bethesda understands the potential of Xbox Game Pass," Phil Spencer said in the announcement.

We don't know which games will be exclusive--we probably won't know that for a bit--but the offering could include high-profile hits like Starfield, The Elder Scrolls VI, and even MachineGames' new Indiana Jones game.

Read Also: Xbox Series X Review: Dream Machine

It's worth mentioning that Bethesda has been working closely with Microsoft for years and helped shape the Xbox Series X, as well as the cohesive console mods platform for both Fallout 4 and the Skyrim Special Edition re-releases.

We explained that Microsoft will allow Bethesda to reach its full live service game potential and avoid bombs like Fallout 76. All of Bethesda's future games will also release day and date on Xbox Game Pass, which could signal a premium price hike for the subscription at some point.