Since its launch in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online has proved the doubters wrong by merely continuing to exist. In the MMO space, it may not have quite the legacy World of Warcraft does. But much like WoW, The Elder Scrolls Online was an offshoot of an already-established franchise. It at least had that going for it.
Fast forward to 2021, and you can find The Elder Scrolls Online on a multitude of different platforms, including Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. On next-gen machines like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, you can already play The Elder Scrolls Online thanks to backward compatibility. But the team at ZeniMax Online Studios isn’t content to just let the game be without taking advantage of the latest and greatest hardware. That’s why a next-gen version is in the works. It’ll arrive very soon.
How soon, you ask? Let’s talk about that.
The release date
The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release date for The Elder Scrolls Online is June 8, 2021. On that date, those who own or already have access to the game through other means (hi, Xbox Game Pass) will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version at no additional cost.
Seeing as both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launched just a short time ago — back in November 2020 — this turnaround is a good sign that ZeniMax Online Studios sees this upgrade as important to keeping players in the game.
Other details
And what will you get in this new-and-improved version of The Elder Scrolls Online? The list of upgrades is quite substantial. One, though, will likely jump out at you immediately.
You will finally be able to play at 60 FPS. Yes, the long dark days of playing TESO at an ancient-feeling 30 FPS are over. The upgrade will bring a performance mode to the game, which will let you choose between higher framerates or higher-quality visuals.
According to ZeniMax Online Studios, “increased draw distance” will also be a thing. Those stunning vistas aren’t all that stunning when they won’t even appear for you. The increased horsepower of the next-gen machines should let you see a bit further out into the world. Get those screenshot buttons ready.
Other notables: “unlocked textures,” “updated antialiasing,” and “improved reflections” are on the menu. If you want to get further into the very geeky weeds, aspects like ambient occlusion, shadows, and depth of field will also see improvements. To put a cap on it, load times in The Elder Scrolls Online will be trimmed down substantially, letting you start up or perhaps fast travel to other destinations with a bit more speed. Add all of these smaller things up and what you have is a pretty massive transformation.
A number of people on Twitter have been recommending The Elder Scrolls Online to those who want a new live service game to fall in love with. Truth be told, I’ve been holding out for this update — the next gen has made me a bit of a framerate snob, which is why you see me nerd out on things like FPS Boost. Once this update arrives, I plan on fully diving into this Elder Scrolls MMO to see what it has to offer. If you’d like to do the same, remember: June 8, 2021 is the date to keep in mind.
