The highly anticipated Starfield is almost here, and we have all the details you need to make sure you’re ready to play as soon as it launches.
Players who have pre-ordered the game and are entitled to early access will have a five-day head-start over those who start on the official launch day.
There has been a lot of excitement surrounding Bethesda’s upcoming space RPG, with much discussion focused on the preload date and download size of the game. Now, let’s delve into what these details mean for you.
The start date for Starfield early access
Starfield early access will begin either on Thursday, August 31, or Friday, September 1, depending on your time zone. This is five days ahead of the official launch date.
The exact release time has not been officially confirmed by Bethesda, but it is expected to be a simultaneous global release, with a pre-order unlock time of 00:00 GMT that should apply to both PC and Xbox Series X/S players.
So when does the Starfield early access actually begin?
The Starfield early access release is expected to happen at 5pm PDT/8pm EDT/1am BST. Here is a breakdown of the corresponding times in different regions:
For North America, the early access to Starfield starts at:
- 5pm PDT on August 31
- 6pm CDT on August 31
- 7pm PET on August 31
- 8pm EDT on August 31
Starfield early access start time in South America:
In the UK & Western Europe, the Starfield early access begins:
- 1am BST on September 1
- 2am CEST on September 1
For Europe, Middle East, and Africa, the early access of Starfield starts at:
- 3am EEST on September 1
- 3am EAT on September 1
- 4am AED on September 1
- 5:30am IST on September 1
- 6am ALMT on September 1
- 7am ICT on September 1
In Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Starfield early access begins at:
- 8am CST on September 1
- 9am JST on September 1
- 10am AEST on September 1
- 12pm NZST on September 1
How to start playing Starfield earlier
If you want to get a head-start on Starfield, you’ll need to pre-order the game. By pre-purchasing now, you’ll gain access to the game at the start date and time listed above.
To obtain early access, you must pre-order either the Starfield Premium Edition upgrade or the Constellation Edition. Both can be purchased from Amazon and other retailers. The least expensive edition that grants early access is the Premium Edition, which also includes a Constellation skin pack, access to the upcoming Starfield Shattered Space story expansion, and more. If you decide to stick with the base game, you’ll have to wait until the official release.
Since Starfield is available through Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can purchase the $35 Premium Edition Upgrade, instead of paying the full $100 for the Premium Edition, to start playing Starfield early.
Image Source: Bethesda
