Stupid question but is there a PTS server for consoles?

drifter1138 · April 2017

Specifically PS4?
I'm only curious because I received a code to play the Morrowind Beta on PTS but I've only ever played on PS4.
I'm not sure how I got the code unless a bulk email was sent out based on entire userbase played time over a certain threshold.

DurzoBlint13 · April 2017

no there is not. There have been several of us console players that received invites for the beta that we can not access. Makes you wonder if ZOS really pays attention to their own game and player base
We can not even give it to a PC player that would be able to use it

drifter1138 · April 2017

Thought so. Thx info.

MNsnowtaTy · April 2017

For me it's a result of contemplating what system I was gong to purchase when the original game came out. I downloaded and played the beta for the original game on PC/Mac which I specified as my go to system when I created an account. However, I changed my mind and got it for PS4 instead.

I wish there was an option to cancel it so that they could find someone else. The more people playing and testing the better the end results would be.

Pepper8Jack · April 2017

Be careful, it is against the NDA to even acknowledge that you got an invite. If you did receive one, I'd recommend posting in the Closed Beta Forum that you would have received access to with the invite.

That said, it is confusing that they would send invites to console players without giving them a means to access the beta. Some of those invited have literally never played anything other than the console version, but nevertheless seem enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Hopefully ZOS will clear this up soon.

PlagueSD · April 2017

If you have a PC available, you may see if you can download the PTS client from the site...Will be a HUGE download though to download the PTS client.

whiteshadow711jppreub18_ESO · April 2017

Some of us who play the game on PS4 also have a PC Account (I am a PC Transfer, that went from PC to the PS4), that go into the PC to test the game on the PTS when we can to give feedback.

BoxFoxx · April 2020

This is a big why not question. Why not invite vet console players to the PTS? They're missing out on valuable feedback from a huge player base.

Dagoth_Rac · April 2020

BoxFoxx wrote: »

This is a big why not question. Why not invite vet console players to the PTS? They're missing out on valuable feedback from a huge player base.

Because they make changes, often big changes, weekly to PTS and push the changes out immediately. That does not pair well with the whole certification process that consoles go through. The best they could probably do is a "delayed PTS" where the console PTS is a couple weeks behind the PC PTS so that they have time to get the patches certified by Sony and Microsoft. But how many people are going to test those console PTS builds when they are already outdated?

Danikat · April 2020

All releases and updates to games on consoles have to be approved by Microsoft and Sony (and Nintendo for their consoles). This is why the console release is always a few weeks behind the PC release, ZOS finish working on it at the same time but then have to wait for it to be checked and approved before they can release it (and have to pay for those checks to be done).

There are good reasons for that - lack of publishing control and the resulting shovelware nearly collapsed the entire games industry back in the early 80's before the idea of manufacturers approving releases was introduced, and it's also why you never need to worry about viruses or antivirus software on consoles - the manufacturers do it for you.

Whereas PCs are basically open source - almost anyone who knows how can release almost anything they like, including programs no one actually want on their machine (like viruses) and it's up to users to make sure they only install what they want or to fix it when things inevitably go wrong.

There are pros and cons to both approaches (which is one reason we've still got PCs and consoles as distinct types of machines) but one of the cons of the console system is that a PTS is pretty much impossible to do. By definition it's not going to be finished or up to the expected standard for a finished release, and it needs quick iteration with regular updates to be worth running, but Sony and Microsoft don't allow exceptions - it would have to go through the same certification process and would probably fail because it's not finished. Even if not it would add too much of a delay between ZOS making stuff and players getting to test it.