Will Starfield be on PC and Xbox Game Pass at launch?

The hype for the September 6 launch of Starfield launch is picking up, and you may be wondering if it will be available on Xbox and PC Game Pass on day one. Given that it’s one of Microsoft’s biggest launches in years, if not the biggest launch, we can expect millions of players to want to check it out.

Fortunately, Starfield will be available on launch day for Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers. It’s a impressive offer which really shines light on what Microsoft’s attempting to do with its Game Pass business model for gaming. The service not only offers a huge library of popular games, but also day one access to new first party releases.

Does Game Pass include Early Access for Starfield?

Early Access for Starfield begins on September 1, which is five days ahead of the full game launch. One drawback of the bundled Game Pass offer for Starfield is the lack of Early Access for the Standard edition. However, one trick you can do to gain Early Access as a Game Pass subscriber is to purchase the upgrade to the Premium Edition for $35 USD. You’ll still technically only own the Game Pass access to the Premium version though, so you might want to consider purchasing the full game at a later date if you want ownership that doesn’t require an active subscription. At any rate, this will get you in the door early if that’s your priority.

The preload capability for Starfield is already active so that you can reduce waiting times come release day. You’ll certainly want to consider doing this, too. Starfield requires 125 GB of file space and will take most users a while to download.

If you’re thinking about signing up for Game Pass in order to play Starfield, pricing on console starts at $10.99 USD per month and $9.99 USD for PC players. Game Pass remains an impressive offering, so check out the full library catalog to see what else you can get for your money. A few popular games include Doom: Eternal, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, and Forza: Horizon 5.

We’ve also covered the differences between all the different editions of Starfield, including the special Constellation edition and all pre-order bonuses. You’ll also want to get ahead on how everything works so you don’t feel overwhelmed on day one. We suggest checking out the Settled Systems anthology for a lore primer, how dialogue works with the Persuasion System, and the topic of co-op play in Starfield.