The Elder Scrolls Online delayed for Xbox One and PlayStation 4

With very little news about the Xbox One or PS4 version of The Elder Scrolls Online, I can't say I'm terribly surprised by the announcement of a delay.

Bethesda announced today that the console versions had to be delayed due to various "unique problems specific to those platforms" which is understandable. It's not often you see a subscription based MMORPG on consoles. Heck, the only times I can recall that happening was with Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

But there is a silver lining, and it's a really great one. For those who either already own TESO on PC or purchase it before the end of June, those players will be able to transfer their account to the Xbox One or PS4 for only $20, transfer their characters as well so they can pick up right where they left off, and gain an additional 30 days of game time. Not too bad at all.

Here is the full statement from Bethesda.

We’ve been grateful to our fans for the wonderful response to our recent launch of The Elder Scrolls Online for PC/Mac, but we know many of you are eagerly waiting to play the game on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

We continue to work on the console versions of ESO, and game development has been progressing steadily, but we are still working to solve a series of unique problems specific to those platforms. Integrating our systems with each console manufacturer’s networks — which are both different from the PC/Mac system as well as different from each other—has been a challenging process. It has become clear that our planned June release of the console versions isn’t going to be possible.  Though we have made great progress, we have concluded that we’ll need about six months to ensure we deliver the experience our fans expect and deserve.

We know that the news of an ESO console delay is as disappointing to many of you as it is to us. We want to do what we can to make it up to our fans who want to start playing now, so we have worked out the following arrangement with Sony and Microsoft:

Via a special offer, anyone who purchases and plays the PC/Mac version of The Elder Scrolls Online by the end of June will have the opportunity to transfer their character(s) to either console version when they are released. The offer will allow you to begin playing immediately on the PC/Mac, and then add the PS4 or Xbox One version and transfer the character(s) you have created and developed. And, you don’t have to pay full price for the game twice. For $20, eligible PC and Mac players will have the option to add a full, digital version of ESO on either the PS4 or the Xbox One with your character transfer(s), and another 30 days of included game time.

Whether you decide to take advantage of this offer or not, we promise to do everything we can to get the game released on both consoles as quickly as we can. We will keep everyone updated with additional details regarding character transfers, specific offer dates, when you can expect console beta to start, and of course, when ESO on consoles will launch.

Thank you for your patience and loyal support.