Todd Howard states that the exclusivity of Starfield for Xbox has led to a "better product."

Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft in 2021, resulting in the exclusivity of Redfall and Starfield for Xbox. Many perceive this as an indication that The Elder Scrolls 6 and, when eventually released, Fallout 5 will also be exclusive to Xbox, which has sparked both disappointment and criticism. Todd Howard, on the other hand, argues that this is beneficial for the company and its games.

"You know, this is the hardware or device on which people play. Focusing on it always leads to a better product," Howard told the BBC (via GamesRadar). "Of course, we want people to have access to it. But being on Xbox means there's easier accessibility for us. I've been informed that we expect to have more players with this launch than ever before, despite the success of our previous games."

For comparison: Skyrim sold 3.4 million physical copies in the first 48 hours alone, and seven million in the first week. It also became the fastest-selling Steam game at that time. Fallout 4 sold 1.2 million copies on Steam within the first 24 hours of release. Howard claims that Starfield has surpassed both games in terms of player numbers, but whether it will also surpass them in terms of sales figures, due to its launch on Game Pass, remains to be seen.

Due to its more focused launch, Starfield could become a "better product" by surpassing Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, but Howard says that's not the only advantage. Exclusivity helps strengthen the Xbox brand, something that Nintendo and PlayStation have repeatedly demonstrated with their ever-expanding game libraries, creating iconic game characters such as Mario, Kratos, Samus, Ratchet & Clank, Kirby, Aloy, and many others in the process.

"I also believe that people associate certain brands with certain games," Howard said. "When you think of Zelda, you think of the Switch. I think there are times when that can be a real advantage."

It is unclear whether other Bethesda games will follow the example set by Starfield. It is a completely new brand that is not connected to existing games in the publisher's portfolio. The Elder Scrolls and Fallout have been released for PlayStation in the past, although these ports were infamous and often lacked the DLCs available on PC and Xbox. However, during its resistance to Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, Sony claimed that Microsoft had made "the new releases of Starfield and Elder Scrolls" exclusive.

The only statement from Xbox itself, particularly from Phil Spencer, is: "It's so far off, it's hard to even understand what the platforms will be at that point." Instead, this will be handled on a "case-by-case" basis. So, we'll have to wait and see. Since TES 6 is still in the early stages of development, we'll have to wait a while longer.