Following the ongoing trial between Microsoft and FTC, PlayStation’s CEO Jim Ryan took a stand on day three. In his pre-recorded deposition, the CEO candidly shared his views about Bethesda’s upcoming space adventure, Starfield’s Xbox exclusivity. As the title was planned to hit the PlayStation 5 consoles before Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition, it would skip the platform entirely. Microsoft’s console exclusivity of Activision games like Call of Duty is the core issue of the FTC trial for the Blizzard-King acquisition. But what does Sony’s CEO have to say about Starfield becoming an Xbox exclusive? Here’s where you can find out everything about Jim Ryan’s testimony during the FTC v Microsoft day three trial.
Jim Ryan On Starfield Xbox Exclusivity: “I Don’t View it Anti-Competitive”
When Jim Ryan was asked if there’s anything wrong with Arkane Studios’ Redfall and Bethesda Studios’ Starfield being Xbox exclusives, he replied:
“I don’t like it, but I have fundamentally no quarrel with it”
Further, Ryan was asked about what he felt about Starfield being exclusive on Xbox Series S | X consoles and PC. While similar to his previous reply, he said:
“I don’t like it, but I don’t view it as anti-competitive.”
Considering the ensuing legal battle, Starfield’s Xbox exclusivity raises serious questions about the fate of Activision games on Xbox. Speaking of which, Microsoft acquired Starfield’s parent company, ZeniMax as it feared it could become PlayStation exclusive. And the company could not fall further behind on content ownership to remain viable in the business.
Although, what about the Call of Duty series? For its part, the company has repeatedly ensured that COD will remain multi–platform to Sony and its regulators at FTC.
But some big reveals and information have been unfolding throughout the ongoing FTC-Microsoft trial. It was recently revealed that Microsoft seriously considered acquiring Bungie, Niantic, & SEGA to boost its content viewership. Due to this, FTC’s concerns about Microsoft’s impending monopoly on Cloud Gaming cannot be ignored completely.
As for what happens next, we will have to wait and see if Microsoft’s Activision acquisition deal goes through. Until then, check out the list of all the new games on Xbox Game Pass.