I play on all three platforms.
There has been talk that accounts should be transferred, but I believe this is nothing but a pipe dream, a hopeful grasp by the console player at an excuse to continue playing Elite Dangerous without feeling scammed or completely abandoned. Console accounts (progress, upgrades, vanity items, etc.) will most likely never be transferred, not on a large scale such as this. Supposedly, complete accounts have been transferred from console to PC before, but this was done on an individual basis that was rarely done, and as far as I know, this is just rumor. This scenario regarding console players is much different.
As we know, although Arx credits can be transferred from console to PC, as for the rest of a commander's career, that is looking quite dismal. For console players, they are looking at repeating the repetitive grind again (and many console players have thousands of hours invested). I mean, I love Elite Dangerous as much as the next fanboy, but the prospect of repeating the grind that I have already done, already suffered for, seems daunting at best.
One of the main reason as to why I believe there will be no account transfers is that there was simply no discussion on it. You would have thought that account transfers would have been discussed in Braben's statement, but it was not. One would have to wonder if this is simply because Frontier is most likely doubtful that they can do this, or care to do it. We have to remember that the decision to abandon consoles was not done overnight. I believe it can be safe to assume that Frontier knew about their ultimate decision four to six months ago. You would have to believe that at some during their "cancel consoles" meeting there would have been a point where there was discussion regarding account transfers. I am of the opinion that there was, with the conclusion that "console to PC" transfers would not happen, mainly because of the size of the task, or they wanted to concentrate on the progression of Odyssey.
Another reason for me to question Frontier's desire to account transfers is their silence. Once again, much like in the months leading to the Odyssey-on-Console cancellation, there is silence in regards to request to Frontier to do something. The most one has received from them is that they are "assessing the situation" to see "what changes are possible". Obviously, Frontier is not saying that they can't/won't do account transfers, but they are far from saying they will either. You would have thought that this situation would have been looked into prior to the dismal announcement of console cancellation, that Frontier and FDevs would have been prepared for it in one way or another. Yet, it seems as though their were not. Their generic statement regarding account transfers is not only vague, but dubious. Perhaps it is a "glass half full/empty moment" where each commander has to interpret the Frontier message as either positive or negative. For some (such as myself), I tend to lean more towards "half empty" status, mainly because of Frontier's track record. A cynic might even take this a step further and decide that Frontier already knows that they will not do account transfers, but are hesitant to announce it due to the current attitude towards the cancelation of consoles. They just didn't want to deliver to devastating blows at once.
Furthermore, even if it is announced that accounts can/will be transferred from consoles to PCs, it will most likely not happen for months (perhaps longer). Again, Frontier's mission at the moment is to improve Odyssey and show the community new features, story, lore, and content. Account transfers are very low on the TTD list. Also, can we even trust Frontier to do this account transferring correctly? Will it become some bug-ridden, code twisted mess (much like the Odyssey release). Can you imagine the horror of a commander being told by FDev that their account career was lost during transfer? Their track record in regards to the maintenance of the game is mediocre at best. Many believe that even after the cancelation of consoles, as well as working with one code, it will still be mediocre. That is just how they work. I am still waiting for the sheit-storm when FDev goes to one code. That will be fun to watch.
I know that there will be others who disagree with me, and I can appreciate that. Perhaps I am wrong, and obviously, that would be good, for it means that console players can continue to fly about in the dark with the new content and story if they want (if they decide to transfer to PC). I just don't think I am wrong about this (or maybe just not hopeful about it). I believe that Elite Dangerous for consoles, for the most part, is finished. If it is announced that there will be no account transfers, the outcry will happen, but it will be short-lived. Overall, the general community attitude will be, "Okay, that's finally done. Now lets get to the new content".
Again, FDevs consider console players as a lost cause. There console cancellation was a business decision that will never be reversed, and being a business decision, they were/are fully prepared to lose the console playerbase. Much like medical triage, Frontier is no longer trying to treat the situation, or cure it. As far as console players are concern, they are at the fourth stage of terminal treatment regarding Elite Dangerous on consoles, which is trying to make the patient comfortable before pulling the plug.
I have to say again that I won't fault any console player who continues to play Elite Dangerous. I can understand their hope to continue their commander's career, not only because of their dedicated hours, but for their love of Elite Dangerous. Unfortunately, I believe that Frontier's attitude is that if the console player loves Elite Dangerous that much, they will just buy the game again on PC and start over again. Again, console players can continue playing Elite Dangerous, and they can still hope for account transfers, but they should realize that this one expansive game in now stagnant, and it is pretty much in its death-throes as far as consoles are concern (and perhaps for the game as well....time will tell). As for myself, a player on Xbox, PS5, and PC, I have been quietly loyal to this game for many years, logging thousands of hours, and sat quietly with the many disappointments that the FDevs and Frontier has given us. The console cancellation decision, though, was just too much of a bitter pill to excuse any longer, and warrants the question of how much does one take before they finally say, "Enough".
One can be hopeful, but then again, one cannot be criticized for losing their faith as well.
You just have to ask yourself about how much water is in that glass.
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