Fallout 76 Beta to be Xbox One Timed Exclusive | Tech News

When Bethesda’s Fallout 76 first took the stage during Microsoft’s E3 press conference, it was a surprise for many since Bethesda was hosting its own conference later in the day. The debut of the latest trailer gave Microsoft a one-up for the event, but it appears that the relationship between Microsoft and Bethesda may go deeper than previously expected.

A FAQ page was created for the Fallout 76 beta (stylized as B.E.T.A. and dubbed the Break it Early Test Application) where the gaming giant posted some simple answers to direct questions about the game’s beta, pre-orders, and redemption codes. One of the answers, however, reveals that the Fallout 76 beta will be available on the Xbox One before other platforms, meaning that the beta – at least – is a Microsoft timed exclusive. Check out the FAQ here.

The posted question asks when the beta will launch and on what platforms it will launch on. The posted answer states the following:

“The B.E.T.A. will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and on PC (via Bethesda.net). Stay tuned for exact timing for each platform here and @Fallout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Please note that the B.E.T.A. for Xbox One will begin first, followed by other platforms.”

Of course, there has not been any official announcement from either Microsoft or Bethesda concerning this seemingly-exclusive partnership. It’s unknown if the two companies made some form of a deal for the Xbox One to get access first, but it’s worth mentioning that the Xbox logo appears before the official trailer begins on Bethesda’s official website. For those still interested in joining in playing Fallout 76 as soon as possible, here’s how to join the game’s beta.

While many fans are upset about the game being “online-only,” it remains to be seen how the community reacts to this news. Although the companies have side-stepped this relationship so far, it’s interesting that the limited timed-exclusivity of the beta wasn’t mentioned at E3 or elsewhere. Moreover, it begs the question, if the beta is a timed exclusive, what about post-launch content?

Fallout 76 is scheduled to launch on November 14, 2018, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Bethesda – Fallout 76 FAQ