With a 6th of September release, we're now within orbit of Starfield's release, but some like Xbox chief Phil Spencer already have access. Perks of the job right Phil?
Arguably the biggest Xbox exclusive in years, we're starting to see more about the Bethesda title described by Todd Howard as 'Skyrim in Space' but Phil Spencer and Bethesda Senior Vice President Todd Hines have clearly got their hands on it. They both have public Xbox profiles, with gamers able to see exactly what they're playing and feel jealous.
While no doubt the executives are enjoying their time with the game, they're probably also working hard too. Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout are notorious for not being in the most polished state on launch, but with so much riding on Starfield, that surely isn't the case this time around.
Microsoft's costly purchases of studios like Zenimax, who own Bethesda and others, and attempted acquisition of Activision/Blizzard are aiming to create must-play experiences solely for Xbox consoles and PCs. The last big Xbox exclusive, Redfall (from Arkane, a subsidiary of Zenimax) was plagued with launch issues and reviewed disappointingly so Starfield needs to be stellar for Xbox to bounce back. October will also see the PS5 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man 2 which is a near certainty to perform well.
Amazingly, Starfield is also coming on day one to Game Pass, which in light of the recent news about Xbox Live, emphasises Microsoft's commitment to the Game Pass model.
You can however get access to Starfield early without having to get a new job. If you pre-order the Premium Edition, you'll be able to explore a whole new galaxy 5 days before everyone else. If you already know you'll love the game, you could even fork out for the Constellation edition which comes with a unique watch and case, as well as a host of other themed goodies.
