You can preload Starfield today — here’s what you need to know

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Xbox and Windows preloading for Starfield kicked off August 17, but Steam users will need to wait until August 30

Starfield exploration
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Starfield is now mere weeks away, but for people who want to dive into the game as soon as it arrives on September 6, you can preload the massive sci-fi RPG today (August 17). 

Set to gobble up 125GB of hard disk space, Starfield is going to be a chunky game (though a lot of the best Xbox Series X games and best PS5 games can be storage hogs). So by preloading you can at least make sure your machine of choice, be it an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Windows PC, has the space needed for Starfield. Meaning that once the game is officially released, you can dive right in rather than waiting for a lengthy download. 

Preloading is dead easy on Xbox: simply go to the game store and buy an edition of Starfield and you’ll be promoted to pre-load it. On PC, this happens in the Microsoft Store. 

Alternatively, subscribers of Xbox Game Pass, on both Xbox and PC, can start preloading Starfield by going through the Game Pass section in the Xbox dashboard or in the Xbox PC app.

Those with access to the Starfield Constellation Edition or the Digital Premium edition will be able to play Starfield five days earlier than people who’ve oped for the standard version or those on Game Pass.

PC gamers who want to order and play Starfield on Steam will have to wait until August 30 before they can pre-load the title. Unfortunately, that means Steam users with premium editions of Starfield will be somewhat rushed to get the game downloaded for Early Access, which starts September 1.

While 2023 has already seen the debuts of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3, both of which have launched to massive critical acclaim, Starfield is still set to become one of the biggest game launches of the year. I hope Bethesda can hit the same vein of gaming gold it did with Skyrim; I'm crossing my fingers and toes.

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Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.