Rumor: Starfield Launches for PS5 in Spring 2026 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 04 August 2025 / 5,844 Views
Microsoft has been releasing more Xbox console exclusives on the PlayStation 5 over the last couple of years and one notable game that hasn't made the jump to the PS5 yet is Bethesda's space RPG, Starfield.
Sources have told MP1st Starfield will launch for the PlayStation 5 in Spring 2026, which runs from late March to late June.
The reason for the Spring 2026 release window for the PS5 version is to coincide with the launch of the game's second expansion and to give the developers more time to make quality-of-life improvements, according to the sources.
An announcement is not expected until sometime after Gamescom, which takes place later this month. Plus it is noted things are constantly changing due to numerous moving parts.
This should be treated as a rumor until an official announcement is made.
Starfield released for the Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass in September 2023.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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If true, this would be another confirmation that it was the right decision to sell my Xbox Series X. If you don't have any exclusives, it's not worth to have both PS5 and Xbox.
Buying Bethesda and especially Activision was the nail in the coffin for the Xbox console and exclusives. You just can’t spend 80 billion and stay exclusive!!!
Very true. They need "RoI" (Return of Investiment), making exclusives for a dying console is not the way to go.
Xbox is now forced to make games to Playstation, they have no choice or Control, at least for now.
I can't wait to see the look on tod Howard's face when he announces it on stage, or during interviews, after saying how relieved he was to only be working on an Xbox version . He has always hated PlayStation. I expect him to kiss ass alittme to the audience and announce some nice features for the ps5, like haptics and dual sense.
Would i buy it for the ps5, probably. Only cause of the bad experiences i had with the series s version. I just hope they can make loading faster.
~4 million x $70 = 280,000,000
I would expect him to say whatever will allow him to sleep well at night. And his look will match that.
Another Win for Playstation If true. More Xbox games are always good for Playstation, at the very least It shows the dominance of Sony as the king of home consoles.
Another nail in the coffin. Xbox Hardware is dead and only Playstation remains as console for almost all "Non-Nintendo gaming".
Another Win for gamers if true. More games are always good for Playstation, at the very least It shows the willingness of publishers to expand their audience. Xbox has never matched Playstation in its hardware sales and will likely not in its next generation Hardware offerings. I'm just glad Xbox will continue to offer Hardware, regardless of how niche it will become.
"publishers to expand their audience."
So why again did Spencer decide to make Starfield [console] exclusive in the first place (and is now backpaddling again)?
What was the expansion thought there?
Seriously, what bugs me the most about reading these arguments of 'Oh look, Xbox is expanding to everyone.' today is that you & others have either forgotten or deliberately suppress the years 2019 to 2024.
In which Spencer went great lengths in pulling IPs off of Playstation.
And he had initially planned to do it with every (!) Bethesda IP even in the future and pull away 3rd party titles exclusively to GP.
It's unbelievable to me that a simple new PR slogan from Xbox convinced you otherwise, despite written down facts throughout the FTC trial showed the true original strategy for the Series generation.
Xbox have NO choice (!) but to open up now again - don't you see that sales chart up on the front page of the site you're visting for many years now?
Seriously, it's unbelievable to me.
Your ignoring context leading up to Xbox going fully multiplatform, starting with Minecraft. This was followed by releasing day and date on PC. Xbox allowed smaller indie titles published by Xbox going to Switch around 2017-2019.
Playstation got games like the Quake Remaster, Psychonauts 2, Outer Worlds, Wasteland 3, and other games during this same time your saying Xbox was taking games away.
It seemed fairly clear which direction Xbox was heading if you saw the signs.
"and other games during this same time your saying Xbox was taking games away."
Did Spencer strip games off of Playstation like Redfall, Starfield, Hellblade 2 Pentiment, Grounded, Indiana Jones, and did he initially planned to make every Bethesda IP exclusive, the same as Outer Worlds 2 wasn't announced for PS5 in its first presentation?
Did he or did he not? And go ahead, tell me why. Why did he do that?
This is absolutely ludacrious to me, I just can't believe you're changing past facts ONLY because today the Series generation is in such a miserable state that they were even forced to port Forza and Gears to Playstation.
And now turn that into "See? Xbox never wanted to take away anything from anyone.", while they clearly did.
I don't understand why both of these things can't be true. Xbox was okay with certain games being multiplatform and with others still being exclusive. If you want to pretend like the transition between making exclusives and going fully multiplatform just happened, then that is a very narrow way of thinking. As I mentioned before; you are ignoring context of the last decade.
Where did I state, Xbox never wanted to take away games? Of course they have. Same with Sony and Nintendo. Arguable, Sony is the worst offender of this. I'm not sure if you have noticed, but the gaming landscape has clearly been changing with lines being crossed that wouldn't have before.
Now that Sony is basically following MS footsteps by putting games on other platforms, are you going to blame it on miserable performance or only save that logic only for MS?
You've got the conviction that everything's Microsoft is doing today, is because they always knew.
Whereas evidence clearly shows that no, they knew nothing, they wanted to pull games and gamers away from Playstation.
Their strategy didn't work out, that's all there is to it.
Because a), publishers said no to Microsoft's initial offer to get 3rds exclusively for GP, which goes way back even into 2019.
Because b), their artificial exclusive strategy for Zenimax titles didn't work out for Series.
Because c), GP tanked.
Because d), hardware sales also tanked.
And for almost 2 years now, everything at Xbox tanked. And THAT's why they go multi.
You're swallowing the pill you choose to. That's fine.
But I most certainly won't ever agree with you or anyone else that shares your view. Xbox went in to suffocate Playstation (and even to buyout Nintendo ffs). Xbox failed. Now Xbox multi. That's it.
You keep repeating the same things in a different way. I have responded to almost all points you have made and answered your questions while you hardly haven't done the same for me. You didn't even answer the 2 questions I asked last.
You don't think Xbox had any clue they might go multiplatform even though they were the first to put games day 1 on PC and their "Play Anywhere" incentive. What about there big push for streaming on basically any device? What about their comments about wanting Game Pass on Playstation and Switch? This is all well before your claim they didn't know even. What about their focus on MAU and engagement while including players on other consoles as well?
Xbox might not have know the exact time they would go fully multiplatform, but they always had a plan it would happen one day with their obvious preparation for has been seen for awhile.
I've given a number of examples while the only example you have is, "They were still makimg games exclusives." Big whoop. That's a weak argument if that's all you have. They have exclusives this year like, Avowed and South of Midnight. This clearly hasn't changed their overall direction.
I'll ask this again. Since Playstation has been slowing but surely going in the same direction, are they doing it because of the same reasons you claim Xbox is? Hopefully you saw the most recent info from Playstation about focusing less on hardware and more on engagement. Sounds a lot like what MS has said in the past.
"are they doing it because of the same reasons you claim Xbox is?"
No.
"Hopefully you saw the most recent info from Playstation about focusing less on hardware and more on engagement."
Hopefully you've read the PushSquare article.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2025/08/a-quote-from-a-sony-exec-is-causing-a-hubbub-among-ps5-fans-again
Very well said. "Xbox have NO choice...", that sums it UP, they need Playstation.
If Xbox had any choice they would continue to make exclusives. They would continue make moves to surpass Playstation and become market leader.
Atm, this is not possible. They need to submit, they are forced to do "expanding to everyone".
Microsoft should thank its lucky stars that PlayStation would even allow them to have access to a consumer base that believes in the value of paying for games.
I'm going to guess over 4 million copies sold in 1st year.
Nah, that’s way too ambitious. The games reputation has tanked way too much for that. Steam estimates don’t even have lifetime sales at 4m and Steam is the primary platform for these kind of big western RPGs.
I agree, quite ambitious.
It could, if they do a new showcase by playstation, showcase new dlc and quality of life
improvements. Free Dlc, . And put a gameplay montage to lure people in like how they hyped it the first time lol
Maybe. We still need to see new DLC and what they are preparing for Playstation.
Are we going to see a barebone "Basic starfield" or "complete Ed." that causes a major impact ??
