
The biggest Xbox Game Pass release of September 2023 and the entire year so far has arrived! Starfield is now officially available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC (and Xbox One through cloud gaming) as part of the service.
You've got a couple of ways you can tackle this one - if you want to dive in natively, then the full 100GB+ download is available right now, or alternatively you can use the aforementioned Cloud Gaming feature with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to stream Starfield over the cloud and enjoy it that way.
We've already started to prepare a wide range of Starfield guides here at Pure Xbox to help you, and to kick things off we suggest checking out our "#1 top tip for new players guide" to help navigate your way through the early game.
So, it's time to get started! Barring any last-minute issues (we hope not, as this is a scheduled post!), Starfield should be ready and waiting for you on Xbox Game Pass right now. It's finally ready for launch.
Have you tried Starfield on Xbox Game Pass? Any problems? Tell us in the comments below.
Comments 77
Think I will untill after work tomorrow
Sweeeeet! I'll be playing soon.
EDIT: I'm in and early impression after 1.5 hours is very good.
Had it pre-installed, downloaded the latest update a few days ago. I thought I was ready and had nothing else to do tonight but start my Starfield adventure. I open it from my games and apps right at 7pm (my time for launch) and it says you need to install this game and starts to re-download. Looks like it will take a couple hours.
Not off on a good foot here. I hope this isn't an omen for the rest of my experience.
Enjoy everyone! - let me know if you would have reviewed it at a 75…
Many people won't be able to get in first try don't get disheartened it happened during early access also. Just have patience and I do hope people do some main quest first to get the hang of the game to how the new mechanics works. Trust me the more you go in the more you'll love. The game rewards you amply unlike any BGS game I've previously played. Above and beyond space cowboys.
Played it a little via streaming on my laptop since my TV was occupied. So far it's pretty standard Bethesda. I have a 300Mbps up/down connection, so I had very little hiccup.
That being said, I do want to see how this looks on the TV and hear how it sounds when I have a direct connection to the hardware with my headphones.
Have fun everybody! Great game with hrs and hrs of content! And remember your scanner is your best friend!
took off from work Wednesday if I am having a great time Thursday also.
Some advice for new players look into getting a new ship early on because the starter one is really bad. Also turn off film grain, depth of field and motion blur as they really hinder the visuals.
Ok so been playing since it went live at 1am…so 2 hours now. Just having a little break to see others first impressions of it.
For me it’s definitely made a good first impression. Instantly what strikes you is just how pretty this game is. From the lighting to the Npc faces (a lot has been made of poor npc faces but these are a clear leap above fallout 4 and stand up well against any game I’ve played this gen 🤷🏻). The animations are also a clear leap above previous Bethesda titles.
Infact id go as far to say it’s one of the few games that has looked ‘current gen’ so far this generation. The amount of little details going on (I swear I could even see some breath from an Npc against her visor as she spoke to me)…environments cluttered with ‘stuff’…as is the norm with Bethesda rpgs.
The whole look to it is clean clinical 70s sci-fi movie.
The voice acting has also stood out so far.
The gun play seems solid… I wouldn’t say as fluid as cod. But better then fallout 4s. I’ve not experienced too much of it yet.
The space combat I’m not too sold on yet…mainly because I’m not really sure I get what I’m supposed to be doing with the management side of things yet. Nor getting the most out of my mobility.
The loading screens…going from world to the ships controls there’s like a second where it loads in. Going from space to the first place you’re told to land there’s a loading screen…probably about 10-15 seconds. I can imagine they’ll be pretty common but not much of a big deal. Could be wrong.
So far, enjoying myself 👍
Im not quite sold yet after 10hs of play. The secondary missions i loved but then i played 2 or 3 hours of the main missions and they left a lot to be desired tbh.
Will it get better?
Downloaded to my Series X and ROG Ally. Will have to wait until I’ve finished work to try it out though.
Played a couple hours streaming with xcloud and it wasn't bad. I expected the servers to be overloaded but it was pretty good with only a few hiccups.
It feels very much like a Bethesda title so far but that's what I was expecting.
I started early access last week and I'm just one mission away from starting New Game Plus. After that, I can truly dive into it. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game, and I hope everyone who's been waiting enjoys it as much as I have.
In my opinion, this game is amazing, and Bethesda has done a commendable job. However, it's not a flawless 10 out of 10. But Like Todd Howard said, the more you invest in it, the more you get out of it. It's not a 7 out of 10 either, IGN – I'm looking at you, or that other questionable review from GamePot or something.
But I have really enjoyed my time with it so far and I really hope everybody else does too
Happy launch day everybody. I hope you all enjoy exploring Starfield as much as I have. This game is truly special.
It's going to be a long day at work today. I want to start now!
Hi everyone,
Have Xbox one but game pass say Starfield is not compatible, I'm on Game Pass Ultimate. The game is there when searched but has x/s which is for current gen. Oh well, back to Everspace 2, lol.
@Kharjo yeah I feel you, us Europeans will have to wait a little bit to experience it.
@FraserG It's all good and I'm more than beyond happy but... where's your review, guys ? I was dying to read yours comments on this fantastic experience...
I know they didn't send you codes before launch (I honestly cannot understand why, as you're the best Xbox-ressource website avalaible, in my opinion)... but surely you got at least an early access, right ?
Where's your review ? I want to read it ^^
Enjoy everyone! I won’t be playing till probably Friday at the earliest 🥲
Tried it when it went live. Fell asleep. Might have been because I just finished a 15 hour shift at work though. I'll try it again today
@Bobobiwan We're working on it as hard as we can! 🙏
Had an early start before work this morning just to take the start and character creation out of the way for later tonight (just got into the spaceship). So far so good with a lot to take in the way menus work and whatnot.
@Bleachedsmiles you don’t think with how old gta vice city is and San Andreas Bethesda should be doing a lot better with npc faces though ?
Alas my plans to take the day off are being scuppered by needy clients. Will get to it asap but thoroughly looking forward to it, there's nothing else quite like a BGS RPG.
For anyone struggling early on almost all the reviews say it's a slow start but it gets better and better as it goes on, many who seemed on the fence early doors were completely converted later on.
I picked a good day to be off with a bad back! I made sure the game loaded up and now Im diving in. To infinity and beyond!
@Moonglow Yeh I know that. There is no option to play on the cloud. Seems my Xbone is incompatible despite this site saying say, hence my message and wondered anyone having same. I have used the cloud on other games because can't install but cloud gaming instead. Thanks for replying.
@rushbudgie That's because the game only NATIVELY supports Series S/X hardware (or PC) so if you want to play on Xbox One, the ONLY option is through the Cloud.
Therefore, if you go to the page, you may see an option to play on the 'Cloud'. You are essentially playing on a 'Series X' built into a server over your internet.
Edit: just noticed your next post. If its not there 'yet', it is expected to be on cloud and I can see the option to play on Cloud on my PC. I haven't checked my Xbox One as I have a Series X for 'playing' on Console.
@BAMozzy Can't see the option otherwise I'd be playing now.
My prayers have been answered!!!!!!!!!! Now the cloud option is there, woopeeeeeeee!!!. Thanks for the replies, see you guys on the flip side.
@rushbudgie Cool - enjoy...
Played one hour and so far it’s a ge take intro but it’s still bloody brilliant! Already feel immersed and it looks great. Can’t see why anyone is moaning tbh but then haters will hate
This is great! And all I've done is entered my name...
Thrillhouse!
Paid for the premium edition so been playing since Friday and put a good few hours in now. Definitely have to agree with the 7/10 reviews, game has been average at best so far. 10/10 reviews definitely got caught up in the hype
@DennisReynolds how did you get yours,there so expensive.
Just did the mandatory day 1 update and only 2 hours in. Really interesting game and enjoying it so far. Looks great on Series S and look forward to sinking serious hours into this one.
@tallythwack Got mine by doing the Freestar Collective mission chain, you come across them in the story and can join them, once you finish all the missions for them you get rewarded the Star Eagle a very good ship.
Going out on a limb here and say my review of starfield is one of best and most simple reviews anyone will read.
Are you ready? Ok. Here we go.
Do you enjoy the typical Bethesda games? Do you want to play a Bethesda game in space? If answer yes to any of those questions play starfield. The end.
The game is really nothing ground breaking in my eyes with the way they hyped it up. Mostly due to not following my "6 month rule". Doesn't mean I'm saying is bad game. Just don't get your hopes up that it's this barrier shattering, new standard for future games to come. It really isn't.
All the above is first impressions. Have not played all the way thru. Did not receive advance code. My opinion may change. But really do not believe it will.
@TheSimulator LA Noire came out 12years ago. If that was the standard to leap on a decade ago we should have photorealistic faces by now.
It didn’t become the standard though. Different game ended up doing different things, using different engines, prioritised differed artistic choices.
We can only judge against the current standard. Do the NPCs in starfield stand up against GTA 5 current gen? I’d say so. Cyber punk current gen? I’d say so. God of war current gen? I’d say so. Horizon current gen… not quite 🤷🏻
@Bleachedsmiles gta5 yes, but the other games you mention all have better looking npcs,although starfield has some of the best lip syncing I've seen
@Bleachedsmiles any quest giving npcs are fine,its those dead eyed zombies,wandering around,that look terrible ,they look like their textures haven't loaded properly,im sure the series x ,could handle higher quality npcs mulling about
@BrilliantBill the xbox needed this game after years of mediocrity,let's hope the standard continues.
I recommend taking photos of your journey also. There's a loading screen that will randomly show your photos... Ahhh the memories 😊
I have a good time. Takes some time grasp the games possibilities cause there is so much options. And you really build your legacy from almost Scratch, but it is rewarding and the game offer so much if you some patience!
Just got the Star Eagle ship from doing the Freestar Ranger quest line. Loved flashing my badge at perps during conversations.
Really loving this game so far, It's 100% a 8.5-9.5 rated game with what it does, with a minus for the loading screens and thr slightly dated game engine.. but overall very polished compared to many other launches (Looking at another Star themed game haha).
I have never played a BG game before so I think the trope of "you'll only like it if you like BG games" is simply misplaced and incorrect. I didn't like any of the previous BG games due to the settings.
@Pranwell The best loot you can get (some signficant stuff) comes from side, faction and main missions. You'll get the odd really cool suit from a body but it's all randomised and could end up in a loot box.
As an example there was one side quest where I obtained a whole space ship. Took about an hour to do but it's a free ship!
So far it's been everything I could have hoped for, sucks that PS owners are missing out.
This game is why I bought my Series X 2 years ago and I've loved it, a huge fan of the ecosystem and its only getting better
This game is so so so amazing!
@fabisputza007 I played for at least 10 hours as well. I thought this game would pull me in, but I cannot bring myself to go back and play more. I think it's just not for me. It might not be for you either from what I've read.
@AlwaysPlaying Maybe a 7.
@Jonnyfalcon Agreed. 7 is a fair score. I put in 10 hours. I'm good. I keep seeing "play it for 10-12 hours and then it gets better." I did, and it didn't.
Early days and want to get into this but can anyone suggest how to reduce the judder…
Movement forward/backwards and strafing left/right is fine and smooth enough (despite 30fps)
However, when I alter where I’m looking (ie moving the right stick) it is creating lots of panning judder
Tried turning motion blur and/or film grain off/on, also switched VRR on and off but all to no affect.
I’m on a 55 inch Sony OLED, so maybe that’s the issue?
No problem with any other games (but in all fairness they all run at 60fps, so maybe my eyes don’t want to play at 30).
Really want to give Starfield a fair go, but my eyes are not happy and that’s only after 3 hours.
@Romans12
Love the game either way. The vast variety of secondary missions is worth just by itself.
The main mission so far is go there fetch this artifact and go back to the lodge.
Something just happened and it changes a bit of the mechanics but it hasn't grabbed me yet. Like I said it is just the beginning and I'm still optimistic that it will get really good after some time. I was wondering what's the event that turns this around (not sure if It can be said without spoiling it)
@Pranwell - thanks mate, I know some people can’t see the difference between 30 and 60 but for me it’s a big issue, perhaps more so with age and the fact I’ve become accustomed to so many games running at 60. I could play games at 30 back in the day, but screens are much bigger now & the judder really sticks out on my OLED.
I’ll adjust the rotation speed to see if that helps - thanks.
Played it on and off today and it's pretty much what I expected and not for me. I love the visuals and environments in general, and like the combat (albeit with glitchy AI) and can see the BG sheen on all the aesthetics. But I don't care about the characters, the story, the missions, the looting, the exploration or anything TBH.
I get why people will dig it and invest 100s of hours. Not me though. Back to BG3 and some Witcher 3.
I had a quick blast this morning and got to the character creation screen so nowhere in the game at all yet.
Major issues with the framerate though - it seemed reeeeallllyyy juddery and bad to me and actually made me feel a bit queasy for a while.
Looks decent but Ive never been a Fallout guy so not sure how I'll take to it.
Gonna have a go tonight again tho.
The fps doesn’t concern me. Everything zips along just fine. The worlds are huge and I’m only ten hours in. Superb game and it will only get better.
Bethesda have created a fabulous world with loads to explore and loads to learn.
Elite game.
How anyone gave this 7/10 is just bizarre. But it’s all about opinions.
Back to it now!
This game is great. Once you learn the ropes it is incredible. Unfortunately this game has become so divisive. The hype surrounding it, Bethesda bugs, half the gaming world wanting it to be terrible because it is not on Playstation, certain media outlets with an negative agenda before it was released, etc (Looking at you PC Gamer, Gamespot and Rockpapershotgun, among others). Sad times that a game gets so scrutinized for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I give it a 9 or 9.5.
Such hype for this game. So much that (even with my ‘permanent’ GPU sub), I just bought Max Payne 1, 2, and 3 all on sale.
Have a neverending backlog of games. Chronological first lol.
@cburg "sad" is exactly the word I've been thinking about the reviews for this game. It's a piece of art considering how much detail, lore, and flexibility the game offers only for a website like IGN to give it a 7. If a game this solid gets a 7 out of 10, then it's a real shame, and future titles will suffer massively as no developer will want to take such a huge risk with video games anymore.
This game is easily a 9 out of 10, if not more.
@Pranwell Hi there friend.
You can just do what I did.
Very early in the game there is a main quest mission were the "Boss" will start talking to you. From there you can presuade to avoid fighting, wich I did. Then after being successful I noticed that all the enemies were very close to some explosive barrels and..... I couldn´t help myself and shot the barrel.
Needless to say that I got the best of both worlds 😜
I love when games alow you to do stuff like that.
Cheers and have a good one
@Phantom_Anima why is it sad that some peoples opinions are different to your own? The 7/10 reviews had valid concerns which they felt negated some points. The 10s were obviously able to overlook them and enjoyed the game they got. Everyone’s different
The game is really, really good, not perfect, but it's really worth dedicating some of your time to and it's only going to get better.
It's also got a great central story, plus what currently seems an endless amount of worthwhile well written side missions.
It's been a long time since I watched a bunch of different live streams of the same game. with each person enjoying playing it their own way and having completely different experiences.
Also,
I think when you've decided to sit and play a game for an hour, then you notice 3 hours have passed, there's got to be something about it that works.
@Jonnyfalcon it's sad because as professional critics, it is their duty to be able to review a game whilst considering all elements that make a game. For example, I may not personally like a souls game, but I can clearly see the appeal and elements the game offers that would make it a good achievement, therefore I would rate it highly.
So far I have seen nothing in Starfield that would warrant it a 7/10, and even if it wasn't my kind of game (to clarify - yes it is), there is so much depth and polish to this game that this game deserves at least an 8.
To give context, according to IGN, this game is just about as good as most cashgrab FIFA releases, and worse than the recently divisive Final Fantasy. According to IGN, Moving Out 2 is a better game than Starfield (with no disrespect to Moving Out 2).
What makes this sad ultimately is that developers will think twice before putting a lot of effort into new IPs. What also makes it sad is that Bethesda clearly put a lot of effort in this game in many aspects of the gameplay, only for reviewers to give negative reviews based on one element of gameplay.
On the opposite side, reviewers who have had the time to complete all elements of the game, have reviewed this game exceptionally high.
@Phantom_Anima @BaldBelper78 for me it's an 8 no more it's far from great I'd knock a point off for it running at 30 fps as well it's good but not great in my opinion and has a lot of problems
@Phantom_Anima I wonder if the reviewer rating it 7/10 didn't get far into the game. I'm about 3 hours in and would probably give it a 6/10 so far. Story is dire so far, shooting mechanics are average at best, space combat is a chore even on the tutorial level and the fast travel is shockingly bad game design. In fact 6/10 is generous at the moment.
At this point on a Game Pass game I'd have given up and moved on, however knowing from reviews all these faults already and that the game is worth persevering I will get passed the start. I also appreciate there is some quality there and I'm optimistic it will get much better.
There is a lot of talk of this being Skyrim in space but I get more of a Fallout in space vibe to it, just without the sense of exploration so far.
Was kinda looking forward to this but 8 hours in and I'm bored. Graphics are great ( 30fps is a little janky though )but it just feels hollow and empty me. Just not my cuppa tea it would seem. Ah well glad there seems to be lots of happy players out there at least 😉
@Feffster similar boat here. Looks slightly better on my Samsung 40 inch led but much worse on my 55 LG nano.
I’ve found it a bit meh so far, I had a laugh making my character but that’s been the best bit! I don’t see why it has to run at 30FPS, I must be hard to please with the graphics haha? But it seems a bit bland. I’ll give it more time though to see how it goes. I haven’t got too far into it yet.
I played it for 4 hours yesterday following your advice to start with vanguard which has a whole museum of starfield history at the beggining of the quest line. Following it along now and having a blast. No 10 hour grind for me. It's a great tip! Quite clear at this point the 7s are bull. It's a truly amazing game. Bethesda RPG to the core so yeah... there's inventory management and loading screens. I can cope with it. What did they expect?
@Phantom_Anima did you read the review or just look at the score? The points raised were valid and justified the score they gave.
The 10s gave some of the same reasons but they seemed to feel they could overlook them.
Exactly the same for me and you, you’ve said there’s problems that you can overlook and would give it an 8. For me, I’m probably seeing the same things and I’d score it a 6.
I’ve put in 40 hours so far and seen probably all elements of the game including the main quest and all the factions. It’s also 100% my kind of game and I’ve loved all Bethesdas previous games but for me the problems with it are too glaring to overcome
Amazing so far for me. Love to explore and see what I can find, It’s kinda like Destiny which I’m happy about because I love that. Don’t have any real complaints at the moment to be honest.
@Jonnyfalcon I've watched the full video review rather than read it, but yes - same thing. His biggest issue was that the game took too long to get going, and he marked down the review significantly for that (although he did mention multiple other gripes - but the beginning of the game is what bothered him most).
Starfield is an open-sandbox role-playing game, and yet the reviewer seemed disinterested to explore all of the game's sandbox mechanics which he admitted in the video, and I got the impression that his boredom with the beginning of the game is due to a focus on the action points of the game along with the main story, elements which are often secondary within a full role-playing game experience. This leads me to wonder whether he was the right person to review the game, or if he had approached the review with the wrong mentality? I noticed the same trend amongst other negative reviews that people often disliked the game when they tried to rush through the main story, much akin to Gameranx. Yet ACG and Mortismal Gaming, both of whom attempted to explore every aspect of the games mechanics, fell in love with the game and gave it incredibly high praise.
Edit: just to clarify my previous comment, my score so far would not be an 8, but that I would have expected most professional reviews to at least award the game an 8. As for my own review, I would so far award it a 9 but thats subject to change based on me playing more of the game.
@Phantom_Anima surely the point of a Bethesda game is to play the game how you want to play it. Some people will want to just focus on the main quest, some will want to explore and some a mixture of both. Which has resulted in different reviews from different sources based on what they got from the game.
What this amounts to is you want the game to be reviewed by a different person until it reaches the score that you agree with. That’s not how opinions work
@TC2020 said "I think when you've decided to sit and play a game for an hour, then you notice 3 hours have passed, there's got to be something about it that works."
Haha I can relate to that. I sat down to play once at about 6pm and 10 minutes later it was 7:45pm... Honestly that makes no sense, but that's how it felt. 😊
@Jonnyfalcon that's not what I meant at all. But on the other hand, would you send a sushi critic to review a pasta dish? My point is, some reviewers are approaching the game like a COD review as opposed to an RPG review. Don't get me wrong, that approach is fine for an everyday gamer as we all have different tastes, but not as a professional critic. To give another metaphor, I wouldn't want to have an action film critic go review a drama film, unless he can provide a nonsubjective critique of the film - otherwise we may get a review that sound like "the drama film could have done with being faster paced, and focused less on the emotions of the actors involved" 🤷♂️.
I appreciate Dan who reviewed it may not like the game, but I wouldn't take his word on it if he plays an RPG like he would a action game.
The whole notion that it takes too long to get going is just an excuse to lower the score. How many games take awhile to get going? Uh, anyone play Elden Ring? That took me months to understand it and to "get going".
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