The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Launches For Consoles This Week

It's been a long time coming, but console fans of The Elder Scrolls who have been waiting patiently to take their questing online should go ahead and start gearing up, because Tamriel Unlimited is finally launching for consoles this week.

The Elder Scrolls Online launched for PC a while back and, after a handful of updates and tweaks, the folks at Bethesda decided to shift the game into a buy-to-play format. We already knew that TESO was coming to consoles, but then Bethesda went on to announce that the shift to the new format would be coming in time for the console debut, launching for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 under that model.

Now that day has finally come, with The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited set to hit store shelves this Tuesday, June 9.

In case that “buy-to-play” business is confusing, it basically means that you'll need to plop down $60 for the game, then you'll be able to play all of the current content without restriction or a monthly fee. ESO is an MMORPG, but it wasn't doing too well under the monthly subscription model that seems to only suit World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV these days. As a result, we get this new model that will offer a one-time fee, plus in-game shops that let you buy items to enhance your play sessions. I imagine any major future content updates will cost some extra cash, too, but you're basically getting a massive online game for 60 bucks flat, which should help entice new players to jump in and at least give it a try.

“In the latest and biggest Elder Scrolls game ever made, you can choose to adventure alone, quest with friends or join an army of hundreds in epic player vs. player battles as you explore and discover the secrets of a persistent Tamriel,” reads the official launch announcement.

For those of you who prefer to pay a regular fee, however, there will also be a premium ESO Plus membership, which will grant you monthly in-game goods, an allotment of in-game currency and the like. If you're the kind of person who expects to pay a few bucks on the regular for potions, perks, skins and whatnot, it might be something worth looking into.

So get your swords and shields ready, folks, because its nearly time for Tamriel Unlimited to bring the magic of The Elder Scrolls Online to consoles.

Ryan Winslett

Staff Writer for CinemaBlend.