Can You Transfer Characters in The Elder Scrolls Online? A Comprehensive Guide
Let’s cut right to the chase: No, you cannot directly transfer characters, gear, gold, or items between different accounts, servers, or platforms in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). This is a crucial point for anyone considering switching platforms (e.g., from PlayStation to PC) or even just wanting to consolidate their progress. While you can link accounts for certain purposes, your characters and their progression are tied to the specific platform and megaserver where they were created.
Understanding Platform and Server Limitations
ESO operates with separate North American and European megaservers for each platform: PC/Mac/Stadia, Xbox, and PlayStation. This means that your characters exist within a specific ecosystem, isolated from others. Think of it as different universes within the same game. Your mighty Dragonknight on PlayStation’s North American server is entirely separate from any character you might create on PC’s European server. This also means that cross-platform play isn’t possible; you can’t team up with friends on Xbox if you’re playing on PC.
While this might seem restrictive, it’s a design choice by Zenimax Online Studios, likely due to technical complexities and maintaining a consistent game environment across different systems. The lack of character transfer can be frustrating, especially for long-time players, but understanding the reasoning behind it can help manage expectations.
What Can You Transfer or Share?
While characters themselves are not transferable, some aspects of your ESO experience are shared or transferrable within the same platform and megaserver:
- Account-Wide Unlocks: Certain items, particularly those found in the Collectible tab, are account-wide. This includes things like mounts, pets, costumes, and some assistants.
- Champion Points: Champion Points, earned after reaching level 50, are shared across all characters on your account within the same megaserver. This makes leveling subsequent characters significantly faster.
- Housing: All houses you own are available to all your characters. Crafting stations and furnishings placed in those houses are also accessible account-wide. This is a huge benefit for crafters.
- Currencies: Some currencies, including those obtained for completing achievements, are shared.
- Bank: Your bank is shared between all characters on your account. Use it to transfer gold, gear, and crafting materials.
Starting Fresh: Is It Worth It?
The prospect of starting over on a new platform can be daunting. However, with account-wide perks like Champion Points and shared housing, creating new characters isn’t as arduous as it might seem. Furthermore, ESO is designed to encourage multiple characters, each potentially specializing in different roles or crafting disciplines.
Utilizing the Bank System
A key tool for managing multiple characters on the same platform is the bank. You can deposit gold, gear, and crafting materials into your bank and then withdraw them with your new character. This makes it easier to equip and level your alts quickly.
The Benefits of Multiple Characters
Having multiple characters allows you to:
- Explore different classes and playstyles.
- Specialize in different crafting professions.
- Optimize characters for specific roles (e.g., tank, healer, damage dealer).
- Experience different storylines from varying perspectives.
ESO Plus and Platform Transfers
Keep in mind that an active ESO Plus membership does not transfer between platforms. If you are a console player with ESO Plus and switch to PC, you will need to purchase a new membership on PC to enjoy its benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About ESO Character Transfers
Here’s a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of character transfers and related topics within The Elder Scrolls Online.
1. Can I transfer my ESO account from PS4 to PC?
No, you cannot transfer your characters and progress from PS4 to PC. Each platform operates on separate servers, and characters are platform-specific. You would need to purchase the game on PC and start a new character.
2. How do you copy characters in ESO?
Character copies are not a manual process available to players. They are done automatically by the system, usually when the Public Test Server (PTS) needs to be populated with player data for testing purposes. These copies are temporary and for testing only.
3. Is it worth having multiple characters in ESO?
Yes, it’s worth having multiple characters, especially once you’ve reached a point where you can efficiently gear them. Multiple characters allow you to explore different classes, roles, and crafting specializations.
4. Can I transfer gold from one character to another in ESO?
Yes, you can transfer gold between your characters on the same server by using the bank system. Simply deposit the gold with one character and withdraw it with another.
5. Can I gift ESO to a friend?
Yes, you can gift a physical copy of The Elder Scrolls Online. You can also gift a digital copy for PC/Mac through platforms like the Steam Store.
6. Can I have two characters in ESO?
Yes, you can create multiple characters. The default limit is eight characters per megaserver, but you can purchase additional character slots from the Crown Store. The current maximum is 20.
7. What is the best character to play in ESO?
There’s no single “best” character. It depends on your playstyle and preferences. However, Magicka Nightblades, Magicka Sorcerers, and Magicka Necromancers are often considered strong choices for various content.
8. Can you recover deleted characters in ESO?
While character deletion is intended to be permanent, Customer Support may be able to assist in restoration in some cases. You’ll need an open character slot for restoration.
9. What gets shared between characters in ESO?
- All currencies
- Champion Points
- Housing
- Anything on the Collectibles tab
10. Can you remake your character in ESO?
Yes, you can buy name-change tokens and appearance-change tokens from the Crown Store. You can also respec your stats and skills at shrines in alliance capital cities.
11. Can I link my ESO accounts?
Yes, when launching the game, you can link your existing Elder Scrolls Online account by entering your UserID and password. This often applies when playing through platforms like Steam.
12. Does ESO Plus transfer from console to PC?
No, ESO Plus does not transfer between platforms. You’ll need a separate subscription for each platform you play on.
13. Can you play ESO on PC if you bought it on Xbox?
Yes, you can play the Xbox version of ESO on PC if you have Xbox Gamepass Ultimate, but this does not mean that your characters from one platform transfer to the other. This is essentially streaming the Xbox version to your PC.
14. How many ESO characters can you have?
You can have up to eight characters per Megaserver in The Elder Scrolls Online by default. You are able to purchase up to nine additional character slots from the in-game Crown Store if you own the base game. The current maximum number of characters you can have on a server is 20*.
15. Do your characters share houses in ESO?
Yes, all your characters on the same account will share the houses you own. They can use the crafting stations and furnishings you place in them.
The Future of Character Transfers
While there are no indications that Zenimax Online Studios plans to implement character transfers in the near future, the gaming landscape is constantly evolving. With the rise of cloud gaming and cross-platform features in other titles, there’s always a possibility that this functionality could be considered in the future. For now, however, the limitations remain, and players must navigate the existing system to manage their ESO experience across different platforms and servers.
The Educational Side of Gaming
The complexities of game systems like ESO’s character management offer valuable learning opportunities. Understanding how game design choices impact player experience and community dynamics is something explored by organizations like the Games Learning Society, which promotes the study of learning and games. At GamesLearningSociety.org, you can explore the intersection of education and entertainment.