A pandemic problem led to a $52 billion plan to help chipmakers like Intel. But Taiwan and Korea already spend triple what the US does on chipmaking tools.
Our work and our lives may never return to a pre-pandemic normal, and that's caused for some major shifts in where people are choosing to live in the US.
Shanghai-based StarFive has announced a new single-board computer (SBC) based on the RISC-V architecture, which is being touted as the spiritual replacement for the cancelled BeagleV.
StarFive hails the upcoming VisionFive V1 as the world's first generation of affordable RISC-V boards designed to run Linux, just as it did with BeagleV at the start of the year, before shelving the project in July.
“VisionFive pushes open source to the next level and gives developers more freedom and power to innovate and design industry-leading solutions,” said StarFive.
Well-stocked
Although StarFive hasn’t yet announced a release date, according to Liliputing, the VisionFive V1 will retail for $149.
The SBC, which measures slightly larger than the Raspberry Pi 4, will be powered by the 1.5 GHz dual-core SiFive U74 RISC-V processor, together with 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM. There’s a micro SD card slot for storage, HDMI 1.4, gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm audio out, 4 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, and a Type-C for power.
There's also Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2, and the board features a 40-pin GPIO header along with two MIPI connectors for connecting compatible cameras and other accessories.
Liliputing says the board will ship with support for Fedora Linux, as well as other operating systems including Yocto, Buildroot, FreeRTOS, and Zephyr. The distro reportedly plans to add support for other operating systems in the future. Also on the horizon is a quad-core variant, the VisionFive V2, though we’ll wait for V1 to hit the shelves before getting too excited.
Now generally available, Teams Essentials provides small businesses with an affordable meeting solution that is ideal for hybrid work environments. At just $4 per user per month, the software giant's new offering is one of the most competitively priced video conferencing and collaboration solutions on the market today.
Corporate vice president of Modern Work at Microsoft, Jared Spataro explained why the company decided to create a version of Teams specifically for small businesses in a press release, saying:
“We know how difficult the past 20 months have been for small businesses. They’ve had to demonstrate extreme flexibility to adapt, often with limited access to tools and technology. Teams Essentials is built specifically to meet the unique needs of small businesses, enabling them to thrive in this new era of work.”
Teams Essentials
Small businesses that sign up for Teams Essentials will be able to hold unlimited group meetings for up to 30 hours and meetings with up to 300 people but they'll also get access to 10GB of cloud storage per user.
Teams Essentials also includes all of the existing and upcoming capabilities available in the free version of Teams such as easy invitations that only require an email address, Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar integration, virtual backgrounds, Together mode, always-available chats, polls and more.
Small businesses interested in purchasing Teams Essentials subscriptions for their employees can do so directly through the Teams website or from a variety of Microsoft Cloud Partners including ALSO, Crayon, Ingram, Pax8, Rhipe, TD Synnex, Telefonica (ES), Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone (IT) and Wortmann AG.
While Teams Essentials makes sense for small businesses that want to continue using their existing office software, for just $1 more at $5 per user per month, they can sign up for Microsoft 365 Business Basic which also includes access to the web and mobile versions of Microsoft's Office apps, 1TB of cloud storage per user, business-class email, Teams meetings recordings with transcripts and more.
Gran Turismo 7, Sony's premier racing sim series, is coming to PS5 and PS4 on March 4, 2022.
The latest game in the long-running Gran Turismo series is set to be the best yet thanks to the power of the PS5, which should make the game feel even more realistic than ever before. Players will have the opportunity to hone their skills in single-player races, then head online to challenge the best of the best in multiplayer matches.
Gran Turismo was originally believed to be a PS5 exclusive headed to the console in 2021, but it will also be coming to the PS4. Delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic mean the game missed its initial 2021 release window.
Multiple rumors suggested a PS4 release was incoming and then Sony accidentally revealed it in response to outrage about Horizon Forbidden West's PS4 to PS5 upgrade policy. At that time, Sony said that PS4 players of Gran Turismo 7 would be able to upgrade to the PS5 edition with a $10 / £10 digital purchase, which will still be the case.
Read on for everything we currently know about GT7 and what improvements we hope the game makes.
[Update:The official peripheral wheel for Gran Turismo 7 has been unveiled and it's a beauty. Read on to find out more.]
What is it? A racing game with an emphasis on simulation
When can I play it? March 4, 2022
What can I play it on? PS5 and PS4
Gran Turismo 7 release date
(Image credit: Sony)
Gran Turismo 7 is set to be released on March 4, 2022. The announcement was made during Sony's PlayStation Showcase 2021. The game missed its initial release window of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic impacting development, and it's also set to come to PS4 as well as PS5.
In an interview with GQ Magazine, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan was asked whether GT7 was still set to release in 2021, only for a Sony PR representative to step in and reveal that Gran Turismo 7 has been impacted by Covid-related production challenges, and will therefore release in 2022.
"With the ongoing pandemic, it's a dynamic and changing situation and some critical aspects of game production have been slowed over the past several months," the representative said. "We'll share more specifics on GT7's release date when available."
Gran Turismo 7 trailers
Gran Turismo 7 - Tracks (Behind the Scenes)
In a new behind the scenes video for Gran Turismo 7, Kazunori Yamauchi discusses the game’s tracks and what the studio has put into making them as realistic as possible. There’s no full track list confirmation or anything like that in here but it does offer an interesting look at lighting conditions and dynamic weather.
Gran Turismo 7 - Tunes (Behind The Scenes)
Polyphony Digital's CEO Kazunori Yamauchi is back again to discuss the pleasure of tuning and customizing cars. Tuning a car can have a dramatic impact on how a car performs, looks, and feels when out on the road. GT7 will have the most number of parts for tuning in the series' history, so you should be able to get the exact setup you desire.
Gran Turismo 7 - Livery (Behind The Scenes)
In the latest trailer for GT7, Polyphony Digital's CEO Kazunori Yamauchi discusses the importance of liveries in the racing world, and how they can turn a blank canvas into a medium of expression. Usability has been improved in GT7, so it should be easier to create more custom car designs than ever before.
Gran Turismo 7 - Collectors (Behind The Scenes)
Join Polyphony Digital's CEO Kazunori Yamauchi in the latest trailer for GT7 as he explains what it means to be a car collector. Check it out below.
Gran Turismo 7 x Porsche - first look
If you're a fan of Porsche, you'll be pleased to know that a wide selection of the German manufacturer's car will be available in Gran Turismo 7, including the 917 Living Legend concept car, which pays homage to the original 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning race car.
Release date trailer
Sony dropped a new Gran Turismo 7 trailer during its PlayStation Showcase 2021 event, which showed off the game's cars, tracks, modification system and so much more. Most importantly, it gave us a solid release date for the game: March 4, 2022. You can check it out below:
Announcement trailer
A 3-minute reveal trailer for Gran Turismo was shown back at Sony's PS5 game reveal event. We got a good glimpse of Gran Turismo 7, including a peek at the gameplay via a race on the iconic Trial Mountain circuit.
Hopefully, we'll have another chance to learn more about Gran Turismo 7's new features, such as the GT Cafe mode shown off in the game's menu, before it releases later this year.
Gran Turismo 7 news and rumors
Official wheel unveiled
Fanatec has revealed the official racing wheel for Gran Turismo 7 and, with prices starting at $699.95 / €699.95, it’ll cost you more than the PS5 you’ll play the game on.
The Gran Turismo DD Pro from Fanatec is a direct drive steering wheel which uses force feedback technology for a more realistic, next-gen driving experience when you play. According to Fanatec, the wheel was designed by Gran Turismo 7’s development studio, Polyphony Digital, especially for the game and the bundle comes with the wheel base, steering wheel, and pedals. The wheel is compatible with PS4, PS5 and PC. Pre-orders for a March 2022 delivery are open now.
Most of Gran Turismo 7 is online-only
Most of Gran Turismo 7, including the game's campaign mode, will require an internet connection to play.
Speaking to Eurogamer, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi that an online connection is required to prevent players from cheating.
"The requirement for the online connection isn't specific to the Cafe per se," Yamauchi said. "It's just to prevent cheating overall from people trying to modify the save data, so that's the reason for the online connection."
The only mode that won't require an online connection, in fact, is the game's arcade mode as it doesn't use save data.
Gran Turismo 7 pre-order and 25th Anniversary Edition bonuses revealed
Sony has detailed the pre-order bonuses for Gran Turismo 7, as well as a 25th Anniversary Edition of the game. Anyone who pre-orders the game will receive the following items: Toyota Castrol TOM’S Supra, Mazda RX-VISION GT3 Concept (Stealth), Porsche 917K Living Legend and 100,000 in-game Credit (CR).
Those who opt for the 25th Anniversary Edition of Gran Turismo 7 will get a limited-edition SteelBook case, 1,100,000 in-game credit, Toyota GR Yaris with country-specific livery, 30 Manufacturer / Partner Avatars, the Music of Gran Turismo Official Soundtrack as well as the same cars listed above.
(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Dynamic weather returns
Gran Turismo 7's dynamic weather and time system will see both moving in "real-time", with the weather having an effect on driving conditions and the time simulation allowing you to race from morning to noon.
The feature was missing from GT7's predecessor, Gran Turismo Sport, but returns along with an improved damage model.
Crossplay confirmed
Gran Turismo 7 will allow for crossplay between PS5 and PS4, the series creator has confirmed.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi confirmed that the next entry in the veteran racing series will allow PS4 and PS5 players to race against one another.
GT7 gets a release date
Gran Turismo 7 is set to launch on March 4, 2022. The announcement was made during Sony's PlayStation Showcase event via a brand new trailer.
In response to fan outrage about Horizon Forbidden West's confusing PS4 to PS5 upgrade policy Sony backpedaled by offering a free upgrade on all versions of Horizon but made it clear that "moving forward, PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen titles will offer a $10 digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5."
In that same statement, Sony president Jim Ryan specifically namechecked God of War Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7 as examples of games that would be part of this new upgrade policy.
It looks like there could be a beta eventually
It looks likely that Gran Turismo 7 will get an open beta prior to its release after GTPlanet spotted a mention of one on the Experience PlayStation site. According to GT Sport, there’s a way to navigate the Experience PlayStation section of the official PlayStation site which leads to access to a way to “unlock the Beta code early”.
The codes given are just placeholders and can’t be redeemed but it does suggest plans for a public event that isn’t ready to be revealed. PlayStation has, of course, yet to reveal any official plans or details around a beta but it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if something was done given there’s previously been a beta for GT Sport.
PSVR 2?
Sony has announced that it will release the second iteration of its PSVR headset, that we're calling PSVR 2. This announcement raises questions of whether or not Gran Turismo 7 will support the new technology. Following the success of Gran Turismo Sport on PSVR, it seems quite possible. That said, nothing has been confirmed by Sony just yet. But there are positive signs. In June 2021, Sony said that we should expect "experiences synonymous with PlayStation" on PSVR 2, which suggests titles that lean into Sony's back catalog of exclusive franchises, such as Gran Turismo.
Going slightly further back in time to 2019, in a roundtable interview with GT Planet, Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi revealed that, when it comes to harnessing the power of next-gen consoles, Polyphony Digital is interested in VR.
“The first thing that’s going to be affected by more power is VR,” Yamauchi told GT Planet. “I don’t think that there’s anything else that requires that much processing power. I really like VR; I’m one to believe in the possibilities of it, and it’s very suited for a driving game.”
“VR is something that really depends on the evolution of GPU power, and the hardware for it, like display devices even. It’s something where you can never have enough computing power; there’s always going to be that hardware limit, and that limit is never going to be high enough for us! Obviously, that’s going to gradually improve over time and we’ll make sure to follow that.”
The fact that PSVR 2 will bring the technology forward does make it look promising that Gran Turismo 7 could have some kind of VR support.
No E3 2021 appearance
As expected, Gran Turismo 7 was absent from E3 2021 after Sony confirmed it wouldn't be attending the entirely online show.
This isn't, of course, the first time that Sony has skipped E3. The company missed out E3 2019 entirely and last year it opted to have its own State of Play stream. Given E3 2021 is all digital anyway this year, it’s possible Sony sees more benefits in doing its own online event again or perhaps even doing a dedicated stream like its May Horizon Forbidden West stream.
“No concessions” on detail
Polyphony CEO, Kazunori Yamauchi, has emphasized the studio’s attention to detail while speaking at the FIA Gran Turismo Championships in December 2020 (via VGC).
“We always pursue the best at Polyphony Digital,” Yamauchi said. “We don’t want to make concessions on anything. We want to deliver the best to everyone. And this is no longer just my thinking, but it’s the mindset of all 200 or so staff at our company.
“They say in Japan that ‘divinity comes to reside in the details and it’s so true. How much attention you pay to the fine details, how to perfect it, hone it to perfection, and applying an incredible amount of attention to this, is our production style.”
This bodes well for Gran Turismo 7, though it also goes some way to explaining why the game's release date shifted from 2021 to 2022.
Making the most of PS5
It's looking likely that Gran Turismo 7 will release on PS4 but that won't stop the game from taking full advantage of the PS5’s exclusive features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller, a super-fast SSD, and 3D audio.
Speaking to The Guardian, Sony executive vice-president Simon Rutter said he believes that Gran Turismo 7 will be a showcase for the console, and detailed exactly how its realistic racing game will wow players with the PS5’s new technology.
First of all, loading times will be seriously sped up thanks to the PS5’s SSD. “The loading times will be next to nothing compared to what they have been in the past,” said Rutter, which will come as a huge relief to many Gran Turismo fans, as load times have always been painfully long.
Rutter also said that when it comes to 3D audio, players can expect an immersive experience. “Sitting in the cockpit, the 3D audio allows you to hear the thunderous roar of a Ferrari behind you or in front of you, and you can recognize the difference between that and the engine noise of a Maserati.”
Finally, when it comes to the DualSense controller, Rutter had this to say: “Driving the car using the DualSense controller, you’ll have a different feeling in your hands from the smooth undulating tarmac of a racetrack, compared to the gritty sensation on a gravel track,” adding, “Pressing a soft accelerator will feel very different than pressing on a stiff brake pedal or gear paddle.”
What we want to see in Gran Turismo 7
Meaningful damage modeling This hope precedes every Gran Turismo entry and Gran Turismo 7 is no exception. The franchise seems almost allergic to damage-modeling, preferring that its beautifully rendered cars maintain a factory clean sheen – but we want to see it. If we careen off-track and smash into a wall at many miles per hour, we’d expect our vehicle to be pretty banged up and not just sporting a few minor scratches.
This level of realism has been captured in many other modern racing sims, and with the PS5 boasting some seriously powerful next-gen hardware, it’s time that Gran Turismo put it to good use.
(Image credit: Sony)
Better AI Another long-standing issue with Gran Turismo games is the AI. A race’s challenge has either been far too easy or too heavily choreographed depending on the difficultly level, so it's time for Gran Turismo 7 to finally bring some realism to its computer-controller competitors.
We want to see AI drivers react to our actions and learn to match our skills behind the wheel. Earning better vehicles should provide a meaningful reward in improved race performance, but not at the expense of leaving the competition behind in the dust. We hope that Gran Turismo 7’s drivers will give us a run for our money, then.
Better offline content Gran Turismo Sport, the last installment in the series, was often criticized for its lack of quality offline content. Whether it was because of server maintenance or your own connection, the game would only let you play Arcade Mode, which blocked any meaningful progression which could have been made when offline. Hopefully Gran Turismo 7 improves its offline capabilities.
Returning features in Gran Turismo 7
(Image credit: Sony)
Tuning
Tuning, a feature missing from Gran Turismo Sport, is set to make a return in Gran Turismo 7. Players will be able to spend their in-game credits in order to unlock upgrades and make changes to their cars to better suit certain tracks and races.
This feature can also be used to make improvements to a car you've fallen in love with to keep it competitively viable for as long as possible.
Career Mode It might be under the new name "Campaign Mode" as Kazunori Yamuchi, CEO of Polyphony Digital, put it, but let's just call a spade a spade. This single-player content can be a great way to get to grips with Gran Turismo's core driving gameplay, giving you a chance to try out different vehicles in different challenges. We'll have to wait and see how Gran Turismo 7's Campaign Mode pans out.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development and it will be released. Exactly when that release date will be, though, is the question on everyone's lips.
Since the game's initial reveal back in 2018, things have been pretty quiet as far as official news is concerned. This is partly down to the prioritisation of sci-fi RPG epic, Starfield, which is due out on November 11, 2022 on PC and Xbox as a console exclusive. We’re really only just beginning to learn more about Starfield while The Elder Scrolls 6 is still mostly a mystery so it's looking like we'll still have a while to wait before we learn about our next adventure in Tamriel in any great detail.
With the tenth anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in the rearview mirror, it’s safe to say that fans are hungry for news about where the series will go next. It’s actually looking increasingly likely that one place it won’t go is PS5. After Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, fans have wondered whether or not The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive and recent comments have us thinking that will be the case.
There’s still a bunch we have to learn about The Elder Scrolls 6 but we've scoured the web to find the latest news and rumors about the game and collected everything here in this handy guide so that you can stay up to date. We'll be updating regularly as news comes in so make sure you keep checking back.
The Elder Scrolls 6: everything you need to know
The Elder Scrolls 6: key info
What is it? The long-awaited sequel to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
When can I play it? Likely 2024 at the very earliest
What can I play it on? PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are a certainty, but PlayStation 5 may not happen
The Elder Scrolls 6 release date
Don't hold your breath for The Elder Scrolls 6 release date – you won't be exploring its dungeons any time soon.
Despite being announced at Bethesda's E3 2018 conference, little more than a logo was revealed. We don't even have a subtitle or a release year. Todd Howard said that the game will be coming after Starfield, the company's next big IP, while Xbox Head Phil Spencer has said it won't release until after Fable 4. Given Starfield isn't releasing until November 2022, and Fable doesn't even have a release date yet, the wait for Elder Scrolls 6 is set to be a very long one.
Bethesda Games Studios director Todd Howard supported this in a 2021 interview with The Telegraph, stating: "It’s good to think of The Elder Scrolls 6 as still being in a design [phase]… but we’re checking the tech: 'Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?' Every game will have some new suites of technology so Elder Scrolls 6 will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require."
As such, tentatively expect The Elder Scrolls 6 to release in 2024 at the earliest, after Bethesda has given Starfield at least a couple of years in the spotlight.
The Elder Scrolls 6 trailer
The only footage we have of Elder Scrolls 6 is a very short clip of the game's logo. Other than that, you might be waiting a while to see more.
Here's the announcement trailer:
The Elder Scrolls 6 news and rumors
Bethesda wants to take its time to get it right
The Elder Scrolls 6 is probably still a few years away yet but that’s not because Bethesda is deliberately dragging its heels. In an interview with IGN, when discussing the gap between Skyrim and its follow up, Howard said “Would you plan to have the kind of gap we're having between Skyrim and the follow-up? I can't say that's a good thing. Do I wish I could wave a wand and the game we wanted to make [...] just came out? Absolutely.”
According to Howard, however, the time felt right for Bethesda to try something new with Starfield and the Elder Scrolls Online meant that the Elder Scrolls franchise was in a relatively good place.
“That being said,” he added, “everything takes longer than we would like as well, but we want to make sure that we get it right. Hopefully Elder Scrolls 6, you don’t want to say hey, that it’s worth that kind of wait, but that it does stand up to the series as it has been in a really big, impactful way for when it comes out.”
Xbox exclusivity wouldn't be about "punishing" PS5 players, says Xbox boss
While The Elder Scrolls 6's console exclusivity still hasn't been confirmed, Xbox boss Phil Spencer mentioned in an interview with GQ that if the game were to be exclusive, it wouldn't be to punish fans looking to play on PS5.
"It’s not about punishing any other platform, like I fundamentally believe all of the platforms can continue to grow," said Spencer. "But in order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls 6. That would be true when I think about any of our franchises."
Todd Howard wants The Elder Scrolls 6 to be a "decade game"
In the same interview with GQ, linked above, Bethesda game director Todd Howard spoke on following up the legacy of Skyrim, which has enjoyed a decade of re-releases, upgrades and no shortage of fan-created mods on both PC and consoles.
Seemingly thinking ahead about The Elder Scrolls 6's longevity, Howard said: "I think that would drive me crazy to try to say, 'Okay, this is the thing you have to top,'" in reference to Skyrim. "But then you realise, like, The Elder Scrolls 6 has got to be a 'decade game.' How do you make a game where you go into it, like, 'people have to play it for a decade?'"
The adage of "if you build it, they will come" has almost always applied to The Elder Scrolls franchise, at least since the series exploded in popularity with the release of the third entry, Morrowind. To this day, fans are still creating mods and total conversions for Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, so we think Howard shouldn't be all that concerned with how to make the next entry a 'decade game,' as it will likely naturally become that through the modding scene, as well as with official support from Bethesda.
Reportedly an Xbox exclusive like Starfield
Starfield has been confirmed as an Xbox exclusive but for many question marks still remain around The Elder Scrolls 6 as nothing has been explicitly confirmed by Bethesda or Microsoft just yet. Well, according to GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb, The Elder Scrolls 6 is also “planned” as an Xbox exclusive. Grubb tweeted this in response to a user who suggested that Starfield and other Bethesda games could still have a chance of a PS5 release:
No. And also Elder Scrolls 6 is planned as Xbox exclusive as well. https://t.co/K4VCC5DrXLAugust 30, 2021
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"Very different" to Avowed Upcoming Xbox exclusive Avowed has drawn some comparisons with the Elder Scrolls series in terms of its appearance but Phil Spencer has said there are “distinct differences” between the games.
When asked on a recent IGN podcast if Avowed will play an Elder Scrolls role for Xbox, given the Elder Scrolls 6 is quite a while off yet, Spencer responded, “I think the games are very different, so maybe I struggle a little bit to say that's our version of this, just knowing what [Obsidian studio head Feargus Urquhart] and the team are going off to do. But when I think about our lineup, and I think about that more core fantasy RPG setting, I think Avowed is gonna be an awesome entrance there.”
You’ll play Fable 4 first Speaking during a recent IGN podcast, Phil Spencer intimated that we’ll probably play the next Fable game before we play Elder Scrolls 6. Speaking about the tone of Fable, Spencer said, “Fable’s always been a little more light-hearted and a little more British, I think I could say, and I think Playground will keep it there,” adding, “Elder Scrolls 6 is further out, and when that comes out I think it's going to be incredible.”
Still in the early stages We could still be waiting quite a while before we get the chance to play Elder Scrolls 6, as Bethesda Games Studios director, Todd Howard, has confirmed that the next chapter in the open-world fantasy saga is still in the early stages of development.
Howard told the Telegraph that: “It’s good to think of The Elder Scrolls 6 as still being in a design [phase]… but we’re checking the tech: 'Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?' Every game will have some new suites of technology so Elder Scrolls 6 will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require.”
If we take Howard at face value, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Elder Scrolls 6 any time soon, with the game still being in the conceptual stages, and the team at Bethesda Game Studios still getting to grips with the new Creation Engine 2.
E3 2021 no-show E3 2021 was a blast, and went with the Microsoft/Xbox show being one of the event's highlights.
But sadly, it didn't bring with it any new news on The Elder Scrolls 6, apart from the fact that it was still in development. Instead, Bethesda's main focus during the show was on revealing in-engine footage of the alluring Starfield. We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out more on that key franchise then.
The Elder Scrolls 6 may not come to PS5 Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that future Bethesda games will be exclusive to "platforms where Game Pass exists", meaning PS5 players will miss out.
During the "Bethesda Joins Xbox" roundtable on March 11, Spencer addressed speculation around whether the acquisition will see future Bethesda titles, such as Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, becoming Xbox exclusives following Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media.
"If you’re an Xbox customer, the thing I want you to know is that this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists," Spencer explained. "That’s our goal, that’s why we’re doing this, that’s the root of this partnership that we’re building.
However, games under contractual obligations from before the acquisition, such as Deathloop, will still land on PS5 – while games that currently exist on other platforms will continue to be supported.
"Obviously I can’t sit here and say every Bethesda game is exclusive, because we know that’s not true," Spencer said. "There are contractual obligations that we’re going to see through, as we always do in every one of these instances. We have games that exist on other platforms, and we’re gonna go support those games on the platforms they’re on. There are communities of players and we love those communities and we’ll continue to invest in them. And even in the future, there might be things that have contractual things or legacy on different platforms that we’ll go do."
Though it's worth noting that The Elder Scrolls 6 may not fall under this Xbox Game Pass exclusivity umbrella if Sony has already secured the games on its platform, it is entirely possible that a big hitter like this will only be available on Xbox and PC – for a time, at least – especially given platforms haven't been confirmed for either yet. That's certainly the case with Starfield, now a confirmed Xbox-only exclusive.
Leaked footage seems likely fake A video claiming to be early test footage from The Elder Scrolls 6 has appeared online but its authenticity is suspect. Posted to Reddit (via GamesRadar) , the footage is extremely short (a grand total of 10 seconds) and only gives a first-person view of a figure running across grass and past rocks.
There’s very little to indicate that the footage is the genuine article and there’s also very little to the footage full stop, even if it was the real thing. It seems to us that, as much as we wish we were getting a look at The Elder Scrolls 6 in action, the safest thing to do is take this with a pinch of salt and assume it’s fake.
An Xbox Game Pass day one title According to Todd Howard, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will get access to The Elder Scrolls 6 from day one as part of their subscription .
New Indiana Jones game won't delay Elder Scrolls 6 development Bethesda has recently announced that it’s working with MachineGames on a new Indiana Jones game, with Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard taking on an executive producer role for the game.
Those worried, however, that this additional work might have an impact on The Elder Scrolls 6, on which he’s also working, need not fret.
Responding to a tweet about Todd Howard’s involvement in multiple projects, Bethesda’s Pete Hines said “Todd is currently EP on many BGS and other projects, such as the Fallout TV show. His main focus remains directing the upcoming Starfield and TES6 games, which aren’t affected by today’s news.”
Todd is currently EP on many BGS and other projects, such as the Fallout TV show. His main focus remains Directing the upcoming Starfield and TES6 games, which aren't affected by today's news.January 12, 2021
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Is it Hammerfell? 2021 looks set to be a better year for Elder Scrolls 6 news than 2020 after the official Elder Scrolls account tweeted something that may or may not be a tease for The Elder Scrolls 6. The tweet, which reads “Transcribe the past and map the future. Here’s to a Happy New Year!”, includes a picture of a map with three lights on it.
Transcribe the past and map the future. 📖Here's to a Happy New Year!🕯 pic.twitter.com/bL44CzLDIEDecember 31, 2020
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The lights are placed on different areas of Tamriel, with one on a box above the map, another on Skyrim and another, interestingly, on an unmapped area below Skyrim: Hammerfell. It’s long been rumored that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be set in Hammerfell, home of the Redguard, but nothing has actually been confirmed yet. Naturally, many fans are taking this image as a hint that the rumors about the setting are true.
Another point of interest, picked up on by PCGamer, is the date on the map: 4E 182. This is actually only a few years before the events of Skyrim in around 4E 201 and hints that the 5th and 6th games in the series could be closely connected.
We can’t know for sure that any of this is accurate or even related to Elder Scrolls 6 (and not Elder Scrolls Online) until official word comes from Bethesda but given the phrase “map the future” and the fact that Hammerfell on the map in the photo is yet to be mapped and explored, this is certainly a very leading Tweet.
Even PlayStation isn’t sure about The Elder Scrolls' PS5 future Last we heard, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said that even he’s still unsure whether The Elder Scrolls 6 will come to PS5, following Microsoft’s acquisition of the publisher’s parent company ZeniMax.
In an interview with Russian publication TASS (via GamesRadar) in November 2020, Ryan said that it’s still uncertain as to whether The Elder Scrolls 6 will come to PlayStation or whether it’ll be a Microsoft exclusive.
“That’s a decision that is out of our hands,” Ryan said. “We’ll wait and see what happens. I look forward to learning about that.”
Ryan also explained that Sony approaches things differently to Microsoft when it comes to making studio acquisitions.
“We just take a different approach,” Ryan said. “Our emphasis has been to focus on really steady, slow, but constant organic growth of our studios, selectively bolstered by acquisitions. We respect the steps taken by our competition, they seem logical and sensible. But we’re equally happy and confident, we’ve got a better launch lineup than we’ve ever had at any of our console launches.”
It appears, then, that the ball is in Microsoft’s court when it comes to The Elder Scrolls 6's release. At the very least, Todd Howard has said in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz that he finds it “hard to imagine” a title like The Elder Scrolls 6 not coming to multiple platforms. Though he also made it clear that, at the time, these kinds of decisions had not been made just yet.
The Elder Scrolls 6 will use a brand new engine Bethesda has confirmed it is overhauling its current engine specifically for Elder Scrolls 6.
Imagine if Elder Scrolls 6 looked and ran like Skyrim. This is a thought which belongs somewhere firmly shut behind the Gates of Oblivion.
According to GamesRadar, the engine reportedly has the same name, but it will bring new renders, lighting, animations (hallelujah), landscape system and photogrammetry.
Todd Howard spoke about the engine after the announcement of the Microsoft merger, saying "it's led to our largest engine overhaul since Oblivion, with all new technologies powering our first new IP in 25 years, Starfield, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6."
Speaking at the Develop: Brighton conference, Howard gave more information on the overhauled Creation Engine, saying that it’s been “a significant overhaul,” adding that “It’s taken us longer than we would have liked, but it’s going to power everything we’re doing with Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6. When people see the results, they’ll hopefully be as happy as we are with what’s on the screen and also how we can go about making our games.”
Skyrim(Image credit: Bethesda)
The Elder Scrolls 6 will be coming after Starfield Starfield will be Bethesda's next big release in November 2022 and we won't be able to play The Elder Scrolls 6 until after that.
Todd Howard explained in 2019 that Bethesda is “still hard at work” on both The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield. He said that “Starfield is playable, Elder Scrolls VI not in that way yet.”
The prime focus for Bethesda is Starfield. In an interview with Bethesda Game Studios, executive producer Tom Howard spoke to IGN, who warned "I think everyone should be very patient."
"The gap in between [Elder Scrolls games] is going to be long, It already is," continued Howard.
Job listings Some job listings for Bethesda Game Studios have led to rumors that work on Starfield could be wrapping up and that The Elder Scrolls 6 could be heading into full production soon. As of October 23, 2020, it seems like the position is still taking applicants.
First spotted by a Reddit user, a job listing for Gameplay Programmers at the studio calls for "talented programmers to join our team that is pushing the bleeding-edge of RPG development for the PC and consoles". As part of the team, they'll "Collaborate on the implementation of new gameplay features: player and characters’ behaviors, combat and powers mechanics, user interface, etc."
While there's no mention of The Elder Scrolls in this listing, it does seem to be a recruitment call for something in its early stages, rather than a project that's been underway for a while like Starfield.
Adding fuel to the fire, there's also a listing for a Video Editor on the Bethesda site which some have taken as a sign that work on Starfield is in its final stages and that the developer will soon be looking to create video marketing material such as trailers.
Skyrim Grandma We already know that Skyrim Grandma, also known as Shirley Curry, will be coming to The Elder Scrolls 6 as an NPC. But it looks like she'll be brought into The Elder Scrolls V, her namesake game, first thanks to a new mod. The mod, due early this year, will make Shirley a follower in Skyrim with unique commentary and interactions and the plan is that down the line she'll have her very own quest. It'll even have Shirley's voice as she worked with the creators of the mod. You can get a look at the mod itself in its teaser trailer. The creators are aiming for an Xbox release for both the classic and special editions of Skyrim.
The Redfall trademark dispute has been resolved - and explained ZeniMax Media's dispute with Bookbreeze over the trademark of Redfall has now been resolved. Bethesda's parent company had attempted to trademark the name back in 2018 leading fans to believe that The Elder Scrolls 6 could finally have a name. Redfall is also, however, the name of a science fiction series published by Bookbreeze so the claim was naturally contested in February 2019.
However, we now know that Bethesda was hunting the trademark not for Elder Scrolls 6 purposes, but instead as the title for Arkane Studio's upcoming vampire-themed team shooter.
The resolution is reported (via Gamasutra) as being amicable and "mutually beneficial" for both parties but it remains confidential.
Skyrim(Image credit: The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim)
Photogrammetry technology will be used In that 25th anniversary panel which dashed the E3 dreams of so many, Bethesda did at the very least give fans a glimpse of some of the technology that will be used in the development of The Elder Scrolls 6. We got a peek at the use of photogrammetry which involves scanning real-life objects and environments to bring them into the game in detailed 3D. The technology will make its first outing in Starfield before the latest iteration is used for Elder Scrolls.
Elder Scrolls 6 goes official Bethesda is a busy studio: not only is it working on Starfield, it's also continuing to develop for Elder Scrolls Online and it's taking on the long commitment of Fallout 76. And that's only in its main RPG franchises. It's still got plenty going on elsewhere with mobile games, Dishonored, Prey and others.
Thanks to Todd Howard, we know Bethesda is working on two huge new titles simultaneously, though their developments are staggered.
Having returned to Skyrim after some time away, Howard compared it to seeing an old friend from high school, adding that the time away had given him the chance to see Skyrim as a gamer for the first time.
This, to us, would be the perfect time to start applying this new perspective to the next title in the series.
At the very least we can say we know it won’t just be called Elder Scrolls 6. There’s going to be a colon and another word to round the title off if previous releases are anything to go by.
Elder Scrolls 6: where will it be set?
We’re willing to bet that like all the other games in the series The Elder Scrolls 6 is going to be set in the continent of Tamriel, the map of which is above.
Previous games have taken us to High Rock, Hammerfell, Morrowind, Cyrodil, and Skyrim. Valenwood, Elsweyr and Black Marsh are the biggest places left to explore. However, even though these areas are prime spots for exploration, that's not to say that Bethesda won't return to areas from previous games.
Rumors online have previously heavily pointed towards Black Marsh, the home of the world’s reptilian Argonian race but there wasn't actually any solid reason for this rumor. Black Marsh's swampy marshlands and network of islands would make for an interesting geographic change for the series, though it’s a geography that would leave itself open to comparison with the Witcher 3. It’s probably the region of Tamriel that we know the least about so Bethesda would have plenty of room to be creative.
That said, if we're just going by where might be interesting to explore, Elsweyr would also be a candidate with its dry plains and harsh badlands that the Khajit call home.
It would certainly be nice to find out more about the culture of either the Khajit or the Argonians so both of these extremely different settings have an understandable appeal to fans.
There was also a strong rumor that the Elder Scrolls 6 could be set in Valenwood, the home of the Bosmer and it’s an area of Tamriel that Bethesda hasn’t explored much.
The rumor that the game will be set here is based on a reported internal Bethesda memo from all the way back in 2014. In this memo, Bethesda employees were reportedly warned against using the terms Fallout: Nuka World, Elder Scrolls VI or Project Greenheart.
Though it was initially believed to be a fake, Fallout: Nuka World ended up being a big DLC release for Fallout 4 which gave slightly more weight to rumor that Project Greenheart is in fact the codename for the next Elder Scrolls title. The fact that Greenheart is a city in the verdant region of Valenwood made this even more interesting.
However, after the brief announcement trailer for Elder Scrolls 6 was released during E3 2018, many fans began to move away from the idea of a Valenwood setting as the landscape shown in the trailer didn't reflect Valenwood all that much.
It's hard to tell from the short E3 clip we have of the game but since it was shown general opinion has started to move towards the idea that the Elder Scrolls 6 will be set in either Hammerfell or High Rock.
Adding credence to the Hammerfell rumor is a post from the official Elder Scrolls Twitter account at the end of 2020 which says "transcribe the past and map the future" and shows an image with an unmapped Hammerfell region. There is, however, a chance that this teaser doesn't relate to Elder Scrolls 6 at all.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Todd Howard confirmed the team has settled on the location - but he won't tell us where yet.
Details are, of course, exceptionally sparse at the moment. All we have are rumors to go off of, which doesn't form the basis of, well, anything really.
Obviously, those of us who know the world of Tamriel thanks to Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim and yes, even Elder Scrolls Online, the entire world is a veritable expanse of different lands and settings where the game could be set.
We do know one thing for certain; wherever it does end up being set, we can expect to be fulfilling a great many side quests.
The Elder Scrolls 6: what we want to see
Homebuilding A feature that we’re fairly certain will be included in the game to some degree is house building or town creation. Skyrim introduced the idea of designing and maintaining a homestead with its Hearthfire DLC, which Fallout 4 expanded upon with the introduction of its settlement mechanic and the Elder Scrolls online built upon again with its Homestead DLC. This leads neatly into a further expansion of such features in the next Elder Scrolls title as it felt not-quite-finished in Fallout.
It would be a feature that would actually fit in particularly well with the rumored Valenwood setting, if it involved the player adapting to the wilderness in the way the resident Bosmer have with their treetop cities. In a similar way the player used debris and junk to craft their settlement in Fallout, they could use their natural environment to do so in Elder Scrolls in a nice contrast.
A whole new story In an interview with Gamespot, Todd Howard said that Bethesda is looking into how exactly it tells stories in its games.
Howard noted that Skyrim and Fallout 4 take slightly different approaches to stories, with Skyrim leaving things more open to the player’s vision and Fallout guiding them more firmly through a story
Now he says the studio is looking at how to “tell a better story in an open world.” He said “each of our games we've had successes and failures and if you ask us internally, we have new ideas that we want to explore in the future because we feel like we haven't really cracked it yet the way we think it could be.”
Being aware of the differences between Skyrim and Fallout’s approaches to storytelling and the fact that both have positives and negatives suggests that the next Elder Scrolls title could strike some kind of balance between giving the player completely free reign and telling a story around their character.
It’s hard to deny that The Witcher 3 has had a massive impact on what players expect in terms of including an engaging story in an open-world game.
Though we don’t in any way want Bethesda to just churn out a Witcher copy (we’re not sure it’d be possible anyway) it does put a certain amount of pressure on Bethesda when it comes to achieving high-quality environmental and quest-based storytelling.
No multiplayer Something we don’t expect to see, though, is multiplayer. Skyrim certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of multiplayer and it wouldn’t really make all that much sense to incorporate any online multiplayer gameplay with the Elder Scrolls Online still rolling along.
Virtual reality It's not a certainty by any means but the fact that Bethesda released a full VR experience for Skyrim means it's not out of the question down the line if not immediately.
Improved graphics and reduced bugginess
The remastered version of Skyrim showed just how far things have come visually since the game’s first release so we fully expect any title following on from it to be of that standard if not much higher, depending on how far away the game is.
We know that the new engine will be used, thankfully, giving Bethesda's games a much-needed boost in its delivery.
More fluid combat - taking advantage of new consoles Everyone knows and loves the animations delivered from Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout, but seeing them on an Xbox Series X or PS5 or high-end PCs would be nothing short of embarrassing. To this end, we expect to see a far more fluid combat experience and, considering how powerful the new consoles are purporting to be, a richly detailed open world to explore.
Replayability During an interview with IGN Howard gave a small update on what people can expect from the game.
He said: "I think when they eventually see the game and what we have in mind, they'll understand the gap more in terms of technology and what we want it to do... We're eight years post-Skyrim. It lets us know going into Elder Scrolls 6 that this is a game we need to design for people to play for a decade at least."
From this, we know that Elder Scrolls 6 is being developed with longevity in mind. Of course, games like Skyrim and Oblivion are kept alive to this day purely by fans who make mods or those who simply can't get enough of it.
If this means there's more emphasis on replayability with branching and far-reaching consequences from certain decisions remains to be seen, but this could be one of the ways to keep the game interesting overtime.
