Can my PC run Starfield? Recommended specs

Bethesda games are known for their expansive worlds in which players can spend hundreds of hours. These same games are also known for bugs and glitches that can taint the user experience. To be fair to Starfield, the game works remarkably well by Bethesda standards but may struggle on older hardware. If you’re asking, “Can my PC run Starfield?” and what the Recommended specs are, let me show you.

Can my PC run Starfield? Recommended specs

These are the recommended specs according to the creators of Starfield, Bethesda. 

Recommended Specs

• Operating System: Windows 10 / Windows 11 with updates
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, I5-10600K
• Memory: 16GB Ram
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
• Direct X: Version 12
• Storage 125GB available space*
• SSD Required

Storage space is always subject to change in large games like this. At the time of writing, Starfield requires 140GB if you download the title through the Game Pass App.

Do I really need an SSD to play Starfield?

An SSD is mandatory to play Starfield. Take it from someone who installed the game on their HDD to save space: please don’t do what I did. Starfield technically runs off an HDD but constantly stutters to the point where it’s virtually unplayable. On top of that, sounds play out of sync, and the game frequently freezes for multiple seconds at a time. If you have to choose between installation on an SSD or not playing at all, choose the latter until you can use the appropriate hardware.

How can I check if my PC will run Starfield?

There are websites, like SystemRequirementsLab, that check your PC Specifications against game requirements. These are handy tools, but nothing beats testing the game for yourself. Ultimately, Starfield may run on your computer, but not to a degree you’re happy with. At the time of writing, you have two good options if you want to try the game out.

Xbox Game Pass

Even if you don’t have an Xbox, you can subscribe to the Game Pass service and download games for your PC. Game Pass gives you access to an extensive library of titles, and any Microsoft exclusives (like Starfield and Halo) are on the service from day one. Spending a month with Game Pass is a cost-effective way to try Starfield and any other games that may interest you.

Steam

You’ll have to pay for Starfield in full if you purchase the game on Steam, but they have one of the most consumer-friendly returns policies around. You can request a refund if you’ve had a title for less than 14 days and have played for less than 2 hours. The timeframe should be enough to figure out if Starfield works appropriately. 

If you need to request a refund, you can do so on the official Steam website. I only have my own experiences to go on, but I’ve never had a problem with refunds on the Steam platform.

If you’ve already got Starfield and are running into the ‘graphics card doesn’t meet minimal requirements’ error, check out our guide on how to fix it