Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines provided a glimmer of hope for PlayStation fans in a conversation with Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg about the Xbox exclusivity of the publisher's lineup of future game releases.

Hines answered fan questions about the publisher's upcoming space RPG Starfield in a discussion with Greenberg streamed on Twitch for Gamescom 2021. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda earlier this year, the publisher announced Starfield won't launch on PlayStation when it releases in 2022. Hines and Greenberg made it clear that the console version of Starfield will definitively be an Xbox-exclusive property, but Hines clarified that wouldn't necessarily be the case for every future Bethesda game, stating, "I don't know if I would go so far as to say you're done ever playing stuff on PlayStation."

RELATED: The Biggest Announcements from the Gamescom Xbox 2021 Stream

Hines emphasized that Xbox will be getting preferential treatment from future Bethesda games, such as with Starfield's exclusive launch, but that doesn't mean Bethesda will disappear from PlayStation's roster entirely. Deathloop, for example, will arrive on PlayStation consoles later this year because its publishing deal was solidified prior to Bethesda's acquisition. Ghostwire: Tokyoanother game to be published by Bethesda, is also set to hit PlayStation 5 in 2022.

"There are Xbox brands that exist on other platforms, first and foremost. I think that's important to note. Minecraft didn't just stop existing on anything once Mojang got bought by Xbox," Hines said. "It's a massively played game on all of these other platforms. It's not a, 'Sorry, you're never going to get to play anything by Bethesda again.'"

RELATED: Every Main Series Elder Scrolls Game, Ranked by Critics

While Hines stated there will "certainly" be more games that won't come to PlayStation, he also said the future rollout of Bethesda releases are uncertain. In part, plans will depend upon the gaming landscape of the future. Hines directed fans to pay attention to Xbox's steps forward in the technology of gaming through the cloud and gaming through streaming. As streaming becomes more common, Hines said, that may be an avenue for fans to enjoy Bethesda games regardless of their console of choice. Players could hypothetically stream games through a phone, TV or "maybe some other device."

"If you can start to conceptualize down the road where cloud can go, it starts to not care about what platform. It just says, 'I'm an Xbox Game Pass cloud thing and you can stream me on a thing if you've got a controller,'" Hines said. "That's why I'm so excited about Xbox, is because it's moved away from this, 'We're trying to sell a box and that's all we care about.' We do care about that, but I think the vision there and the goals there are much bigger and more exciting."

Hines and Greenberg left their comments there, leaving the door open for PlayStation fans to possibly still get their hands on future Bethesda releases. Even if The Elder Scrolls VI or an eventual Fallout sequel never becomes available for the PlayStation 5, possibilities remain for audiences to enjoy the game beyond just the Xbox Series X.

Regarding Starfield specifically, Greenberg said PlayStation fans will have to get creative to enjoy the game, either by playing it on PC or through the cloud. Hines agreed, throwing cold water on the notion of an eventual PlayStation 5 release. He later commented on Twitter that his Gamescom comments did not at all indicate that Starfield will be a timed exclusive. Anyone who suggested otherwise, he implied, was grasping at straws.

KEEP READING: Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game Can't Afford to Ignore the Movies

Source: TwitchTwitter