Bethesda announced that the next-generation console release of Elder Scrolls Online — called Console Enhanced — will launch on June 8. This new, polished edition of the game will come with a host of upgrades to make it look extra-spiffy on the new consoles, and anyone who already has it on the old consoles will be able to get these upgrades for free. The game is currently free to try for curious new users.
According to Bethesda’s post on the subject, ESO:CE “allows ESO to run natively on the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, harnessing the horsepower of new-generation console tech to dramatically improve the game’s visual fidelity and performance on those machines.” Anyone who owns the MMORPG on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 can expect to receive a free upgrade to the respective next-generation console.
The upgrade is not a small one, either. The list of improvements includes the game being able to run at a 60FPS in HD (and 30FPS in 4K, in the now-familiar dichotomy of “Performance” vs “Fidelity” modes), improved shadows and reflections, updated textures and antialiasing, improved loading times (Bethesda claims they’ve been “nearly cut in half on average”), and better depth of field. To encourage new users to get into the game ahead of the update, Bethesda is offering the base game and the Vvardenfell zone free until April 13.
Bethesda will share more about Elder Scrolls Online: Console Enhanced before it launches in June. Personally, I see this gorgeous upgraded game, and it gives me shivers to think what Elder Scrolls VI will look like when it finally launches in a couple of years (being generous with the development timeline). Here’s hoping Bethesda doesn’t feel the need to release Skyrim on yet more consoles, but I know better than to underestimate Todd Howard’s determination.
Source: Elder Scrolls Online