Todd Howard talks about Starfield’s Xbox exclusivity
Before Starfield had a chance to wow us all with its vast recreation of the universe, Bethesda Game Studios came under fire following the revelation that its framerate would be locked at 30fps on Xbox Series X|S consoles — a concern amplified by Redfall’s stumble through launch with a locked framerate of 30fps. However, Todd Howard feels that not having to focus on multiple platforms has made Starfield a better game overall because the team could focus on fewer 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. But being with Xbox means there is an ease of access for us,” Howard told the BBC. Later adding, “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.”
Bethesda Game Studios has built a reputation on creating huge worlds with its Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, and while Starfield is the studio’s first new IP in over 25 years, it doesn’t deviate from that concept in the slightest. “Options are what I think keeps a game going in your head,” Howard said. “When you put it down, you start thinking about when you can pick it back up? What am I going to do next? Or when you get distracted by choices in a game, and the hours go by, that’s when I start feeling good about a game I’m making.”
Although we’re sure you’ll be working through the Starfield achievements for the foreseeable future, there are still several other games coming to Game Pass this month, including Payday 3. Check out our list if you’d like something else to play when recovering from space exploration fatigue!
