PlayStation boss Jim Ryan admits Starfield Xbox exclusivity isn’t ‘anti-competitive’

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has admitted that he doesn’t see the Xbox console’s exclusivity in Starfield as “anti-competitive”.

During the ongoing trial between Microsoft and the FTC, the head of PlayStation took the stage. During his testimony, he was asked if there was anything wrong with Arkane Studios’ Redfall and Bestheda Game Studios’ Starfield on Xbox.

Ryan replied, “I don’t like it, but I basically don’t have any disagreements with him.” When asked how he feels about Starfield skipping the PlayStation 5 and being an Xbox Series X/S exclusive on the console, he said, “I don’t like it, but I don’t see it as anti-competitive.”

Console exclusivity, particularly with regard to Call of Duty, is at the center of the FTC’s case against Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. And she pointed to Bethesda’s upcoming space game Starfield, which has yet to be released on PlayStation, as an example of Microsoft’s behavior after it bought parent company ZeniMax. For its part, Microsoft has committed to keeping Call of Duty multi-platform for at least a decade if Activision buys Blizzard. Ryan expressed concern about the fate of Call of Duty, should Microsoft take control of the franchise.

Ryan’s comments come on the third day of the trial. Over the past few days a plethora of new information has emerged; This includes Microsoft seriously considering acquiring studios, such as Bungie, IO Interactive, and Sega, to fill their content gaps.

If you want to learn more about the ongoing beta, check out our daily walkthroughs. If you’d like a more in-depth look at previous trial days, check out the analysis pieces for Day 1 and Day 2.

Taylor is a reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @tweet