The long wait for Starfield is almost over.
Developer Bethesda recently announced the Xbox exclusive’s global release times and recommended PC specs in a blog post. Though Starfield officially launches on September 6, its early access begins this Friday, September 1.
The launch and early access will happen at midnight around the world, respective to a country’s timezone. Starfield will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Game Pass and on PC. Here's everything you need to know.
Starfield: Global release times
Early access is available on September 1 for those who pre-order or buy the premium edition, premium edition upgrade or the Constellation Edition. If you pre-order the standard edition, you’ll have to wait until September 6 for the game to unlock on Xbox and PC. The graph above shows global release times, which we've also listed below.
As IGN notes, Americans in Eastern and Pacific time zones can play Starfield at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET this Thursday, August 31. Players in the United Kingdom and Europe can get in on the action at 1 a.m. BST and 2 a.m. CEST, respectively. If the graph above doesn’t show your region listed, you can convert 00:00 GMT to your time zone to figure out when early access begins for Starfield.
August 31:
- 5 p.m. PDT
- 6 p.m. CDT
- 7 p.m. CDT
- 8 p.m. EDT
- 9 p.m. BRT
September 1:
- 1 a.m. BST
- 2 a.m. CEST
- 5:30 a.m. IST
- 9 a.m. JST
- 10 a.m. AEST
Starfield: Constellation Edition
Bethesda lists what you can expect in the Starfield Constellation Edition, which is effectively its collector’s edition.
- Starfield Steelbook Display Case
- Credit Stick with Laser-Etched Game Code
- Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)
- Up to 5 days early access
- Constellation Skin Pack
- Access to Starfield Digital Artbook and Original Soundtrack
- Embroidered Constellation Patch
- Starfield Chronomark Watch and Transit Case
The post states the Starfield Chronomark watch only supports English, while the ‘Starfield Watch’ companion app supports English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. The app won’t support weather features at launch. It’s important to note that the Starfield Chronomark watch does not transmit phone calls, does not support cellular service and is not a touchscreen device like the best smartphones and smartwatches.
Follow this link to learn more about the other Starfield Edition.
Starfield: Recommended PC specs
Lastly, we have Starfield’s recommended PC specs. Despite the game’s large scope, its PC requirements aren’t egregious. If you own one of the best gaming PCs, you should be able to at least meet the minimum requirements — though the recommended requirements aren’t unreasonable either.
Minimum:
- OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (10.0.19043)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 125 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
Recommended:
- OS: Windows 10/11 with updates
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 125 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
Starfield: Outlook
Starfield is the biggest Xbox exclusive releasing in 2023, so it’s a safe bet that Xbox owners and Bethesda fans alike are clamoring to dive into this space-based adventure. Now that we know when the game launches globally, we can prepare for what will surely be one of the most talked-about titles of the year.
Expect our full Starfield review on August 31.
