At Microsoft-Bethesda’s E3 presentation yesterday, gaming giant Bethesda broke the long silence regarding the development ofStarfield, which was first announced at E3 2018. AlthoughStarfield’sE3 2021 trailerdidn’t include many details that fans have been hoping to hear, the showcase did confirm the game’s release date, which is scheduled for Jul 21, 2025.

Another vital piece of information revealed at E3 2021 is thatStarfieldwill be exclusive to the PC and Xbox consoles, which is expected, given that Microsoft acquired Bethesda last year. With so many new studios under its belt, Microsoft is set to release tons of exclusive games, and the confirmation ofStarfieldas one of them is expected to have a massive impact on the newly released Xbox Series X/S.

starfield 1

RELATED:Starfield Trailer May Hint at The Elder Scrolls 6 Location

How Starfield Could Affect The Sales Performance of the Xbox Series X

It is no secret that 2021 has been an excellent year for Xbox players. At the end of 2020, Microsoft released the highly-anticipated Xbox Series X and S.The company’s continuous commitment to improving Xbox Game Passhas successfully converted some PlayStation players to the latest Xbox consoles this generation. However, that number is still pretty small at this point, and despite Microsoft’s ongoing success, the PS5 is still ways ahead of the Xbox Series X.

During the launch of both Microsoft’s and Sony’s consoles, it was reported that thePS5 sold twice as many consoles as the Xbox Series X/S. The most significant contributor to Sony’s dominance in console sales is its robust lineup of exclusives that includeGod of WarandHorizon Forbidden West, to name a few. However, it appears that Microsoft is not backing down in the fight for dominance, and yesterday’s E3 presentation proves just that.

starfield E3 2021

During Microsoft’s showcase at E3 2021, the company revealed several exclusive games coming to the Xbox Series X/S, with Bethesda’sStarfieldbeing one of the biggest. Given thatplayers have been waiting forStarfieldfor quite some time now, it wouldn’t be surprising if console players who are yet to purchase a next-generation system, or even those who already own a PS5, are now considering the Xbox Series X/S.

Starfield and Xbox Game Pass Will Ensure The Success of the Xbox Series X

Apart from the many exclusive games that are slated to release on the Xbox Series X, the continuous growth of the Xbox Game Pass is also expected to drive the sales performance of Microsoft’s latest consoles. At yesterday’s E3 presentation,Bethesda revealed adding 10 more of its games to the Xbox Game Pass. Earlier this year, the studio already brought 20 games to Game Pass, and with the latest additions, players can now access 30 Bethesda games.

It is worth noting that several other game developers have already contributed to the Xbox Game Pass’s growing roster of titles. Not to mention, several game studios have committed to bringing their upcoming titles to the Xbox Game Pass on day one, includingStarfield, alongside other games such asA Plague Tale: Requiem, Shredders, Atomic Heart, and many more. Although it is yet to be seen how the sales performance of the Xbox Series X will be affected by the upcoming exclusive games and the ongoing popularity of the Xbox Game Pass, at least Microsoft now has a bigger chance to reach or even surpass the commercial success of the PS5.

Starfieldreleases July 20, 2025, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE:E3 2021 - Schedule, Where To Watch, Everything Revealed, & More