Skip to main content

Elder Scrolls Online gets a next-gen update — and yes, that includes PS5

The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a next-gen update on June 8. The enhanced edition will come to both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 despite the fact that Microsoft now owns Bethesda.

Released in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online is Bethesda’s massively multiplayer online RPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe. The game has received consistent support over the past seven years, and the new update will optimize it for new consoles.

The new “Console Enhanced” update comes to both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on June 8. The most noticeable difference is that the update will allow the game to run at 60 frames per second on new consoles.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Console Enhanced Preview

Other significant visual improvements are coming too. The update brings upgraded textures, advanced lighting, and fast load times to the game. It’ll get new fidelity and performance modes as well.

What’s notable about the release is that it’s the first Bethesda software update since Microsoft officially acquired Bethesda. While Microsoft said that games like Deathloop would honor their current contracts with Sony, it admitted that some of Bethesda’s titles would be exclusive to Xbox moving forwards. That point has especially worried Elder Scrolls fans, who worry that the franchise will be available only on Xbox platforms moving forwards.

With the Elder Scrolls Online update coming to PS5, those fears should be quelled for now. It’s a good sign that Microsoft still plans to let Bethesda work with other companies on its games. In a recent roundtable about the acquisition, Microsoft noted that there were specific legacy deals Bethesda would continue to make good on. It would appear that The Elder Scrolls Online is included on that list for now.

Editors' Recommendations

Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
The Elder Scrolls 6: release date speculation, rumors, news, and more
The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls 6 was first revealed five years ago with a 36-second announcement trailer. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a lot of concrete news on the title since.

Now that Bethesda has launched Starfield — the developer's first brand-new IP in 25 years — with great success despite plenty of criticism on the game's advertised scale versus its gameplay, it goes without saying that the studio will be shifting to the next installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The new title will be building off the wild success of its predecessor Skyrim (which made the cut for Digital Trends' top 50 video games of all time) and MMO The Elder Scrolls Online.

Read more
Starfield isn’t on PS5, but you can play these great alternatives on PS Plus
A player fights an enemy in Starlink: Battle for Atlas.

The long-awaited game Starfield is finally available for some players, but it's notably an Xbox Series X/S console exclusive. That means console-only players who don't own one of Microsoft's latest systems are out of luck and will have to look for some alternatives. Thankfully, there are some other viable options on Sony's own PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscription service.
From previous Bethesda Game Studios titles that will provide a similar RPG experience to other games set in space or about exploring a galaxy of planets, there are seven ones that we think those without an Xbox, PC, or cloud gaming connection to play Starfield with should check out. While the price of an annual subscription to PS Plus is going up soon, all of these games are playable for no additional cost if you have a PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium subscription.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

If you're looking for a choice-driven RPG to play, there's nothing shameful about replaying Bethesda Game Studios' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. First released in 2011 and rereleased many times, Skyrim is one of the best fantasy RPGs ever made, with an expansive world, lots of character classes that add to the game's replay value, and tons of interesting lore and stories for the player to discover. There's a good chance you've already played Skyrim at this point, but if you somehow haven't or just really need something to scratch that Western RPG itch because you can't play Starfield, it's impossible to go wrong with one of the best games of the 2010s. 
Prey

Read more
PS5 finally gets Dolby Atmos device support in latest system software beta
The Razer Kaira Pro sitting next to a PS5 console.

Sony is rolling out the latest system software beta for PlayStation 5 today, and it brings a plethora of helpful new features to the console. One of the most notable is that the PS5 will now support Dolby Atmos-enabled audio devices. 
Select PlayStation users will get emails today inviting them to the beta. If they accept, those players will help Sony test out all of these features ahead of the patch's wide release sometime later this year. It's a beta worth opting into if you have any sort of Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system, as this update will make the PS5's proprietary Tempest 3D AudioTech compatible with soundbars, home theater systems, and TVs that utilize Dolby Atmos. 
You'll be able to change this setting by choosing Dolby Atmos in the Audio Format (Priority) menu, which is located in the Audio Output tab of the PS5 Setting's Sound menu. In beta, Dolby Atmos support will only work with games; a footnote in the PlayStation Blog post about the update explains that "media app providers can update their apps on PS5 to support Dolby Atmos audio" but that "these app updates are not currently supported in the PS5 beta."

Dolby Atmos support isn't the only notable feature to come to PS5 as part of this update. New accessibility features that let players use a second controller for assistance and give the System UI haptic feedback on DualSense and PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers are also part of the update. On the social side of things, this update lets players send party invitations to groups, smooths out the process for adding a new player to a closed party, adds a Share Screen preview window, introduces a "Joinable" icon for friends you can join a game with, and adds a more detailed tournaments tile to the Game Hub and the ability to react to player messages with emojis.
Under the ease-of-use category, this patch will finally give players the ability to search for games in their library and mute the PS5 beep sound, makes Game Help cards more helpful, and adds a new Discover Tips menu. Finally, for those looking to expand their system's memory, this update will increase M.2 SSD support to 8 TB devices. 
Overall, it's a pretty hefty update with tons of helpful new features, so you might want to try to opt into the preview before the patch rolls out to everyone later in 2023.

Read more