Todd Howard defends Starfield Xbox Series X/S exclusivity: "When you think of Zelda you think of the Switch"

Starfield game director Todd Howard has spoken on the new RPG's console exclusivity for Xbox systems.

Speaking to the BBC in a new interview, the Starfield director and Bethesda veteran defended the new game's console platform exclusivity. "When you're making something exclusive then the more you can focus," Howard said of Starfield's console exclusivity for Xbox Series X/S platforms.

"You know this is the hardware or the thing people are playing on, so the ability to focus on that always yields a better product. You do want people to be able to access it of course," Howard continued. "But being with Xbox means there is an ease of access for us and I'm told we're expecting more people playing this launch than anything we've ever done before and that's despite the success of our previous games."

"I do also think people attach brands to certain games. When you think of Zelda you think of the Switch and I think there are times when that can be a real benefit," the Starfield director concluded. It's clear that Howard views Starfield specifically as an Xbox-linked game, synonymous with both of Microsoft's new-gen consoles, as well as PC.

In an internal memo upon Starfield's launch, Howard had big praise for Xbox leadership, including head of gaming Phil Spencer. "His support of every game and every player has been unwavering and fierce. Joining Xbox brought us closer to so many we had worked with for over 20 years. I cannot imagine a better place to create games, where the diversity of studios, creators, and games are allowed to flourish," Howard reportedly wrote in the internal memo.

It's a good thing Howard is full of praise for working with Xbox, since it sure looks like all future Bethesda Game Studios titles will be console exclusives for Xbox players. Spencer was non-committal on the subject of console exclusivity for The Elder Scrolls 6 though, saying earlier this year that the sequel was so far out it was impossible to know which platforms it would be on. 

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