Skyrim-maker Bethesda is all set to launch its open-world space RPG Starfield on September 6. While the global gaming community as a whole waits with bated breath for the game that’s been nourished and perfected over 25 years by the devs, you can actually become one of the first movers to get their copy on the game early. After all, it’s a wide, wide galaxy out there, waiting to be explored, its stories waiting to be experienced.
What is Starfield?
For those not in the know, Starfield is an upcoming open-world space adventure role-playing game by Bethesda Game Studios and its biggest yet. The game’s story begins in the year 2330 and details a futuristic version of humanity that has settled on various planets that lie beyond Earth’s solar system. In Starfield, you will play as one of the Constellation — the last group of space explorers — with a mission to get rare artifacts spread throughout the galaxy. There are over 1000 planets to be explored, so rest assured there will be tons of things to do in the game. No wonder it is Bethesda’s biggest game yet!
Bethesda is allowing you to pre-order Starfield if you’re any type of open-world RPG lover. But Starfield comes in more than one edition, and it would be wise to check on what each of them offers. So, which Starfield edition would be just the perfect one for you? We’ll tell you here in some detail.
How Many Starfield Editions Are There?
There are four Starfield editions: Standard Edition, Digital Premium Edition, Premium Edition Upgrade, and the biggest and most expensive of them all, the Constellation Edition.
Which Starfield Editions Give You Early Access?
Barring the Standard Edition, all the other three editions offer up to five days of early access to the game. Bethesda, however, states: “Actual play time depends on purchase date and is subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.”
Now, let’s dive into the four editions one by one. We’ll take a look at what features and bonuses they come with, beginning with the Starfield Standard Edition.
Starfield Standard Edition
The most basic edition of the game, the Standard Edition, includes only the Starfield base game. There is a little bonus for you, however, if you pre-order it.
Preordering the Standard Edition gets you the “Old Mars Skin Pack“. The skin pack includes the Laser Cutter, Deep Mining Helmet, and Deep Mining Pack game skins.
The game disc is included with physical purchases of Xbox Standard Edition. The game code is included with physical purchases on the PC Standard edition.
Go for the Standard Edition if you are new to Bethesda’s open-world role-playing games or want to experience only the base game for the time being.
Starfield: What Xbox Game Pass Members Need to Know
If you have an active Game Pass subscription, you can start playing Starfield from Day One. It also makes you eligible for all the pre-order content of Starfield Standard Edition. By the way, the launch month of Starfield might coincide with the implementation of Xbox Game Pass Core!
Starfield Standard Edition: Platforms and Price
The Standard Edition is available for pre-order on Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Windows Store and Steam). If you purchase the Standard Edition on Xbox, you will get a physical disc, while for the same on PC, you’ll get the game code.
The Standard Edition comes at a price tag of US $69.99.
Starfield Digital Premium Edition
Next up is the Starfield Digital Premium Edition, which is pricier but also packs in more content. If you decide to go for this, you will get — in addition to the base game and the Old Mars Skin Pack — the following digital items: a story expansion called Shattered Space (when it launches), the Constellation Skin Pack, Starfield Digital Artbook, and Starfield Original Soundtrack.
The Constellation Skin Pack consists of the Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack.
Starfield Digital Premium Edition: Platforms and Price
The Digital Premium Edition is available for pre-order on Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Windows Store and Steam). It comes at a price tag of US $99.99.
Next, we move on to the Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade.
Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade
Provided you have bought the base game separately, the Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade gives you up to five days of early access to the sci-fi RPG but only with the Game Pass Subscription/Digital version of the base game.
Content-wise, it comes with the same content you get in the Starfield Premium Edition.
If you go for a physical purchase, you will get the Steelbook Display Case and the Constellation Patch.
Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade: Before You Buy
For the Premium Edition Upgrade, there are two points you should bear in mind.
First, the Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade does not come with the base game. It is meant for those who have already purchased the Standard Edition. That means you must have the base game prior to going for the Premium Edition Upgrade.
Second, the Premium Edition Upgrade is available only on Xbox Series X|S & Microsoft Store.
Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade: Price
The Premium Edition Upgrade is priced at US $34.99.
Starfield Constellation Edition
The Starfield Constellation Edition is meant for true enthusiasts of Starfield or Bethesda games in general. It is the most expensive game edition and a physical one. It includes all the game content offered by the Digital Premium Edition and the Premium Edition Upgrade.
Additionally, those who buy the Constellation Edition will get the Steelbook Case, the Constellation Pack, the Starfield Chronomark Watch and Case, and a Credit Stick with a laser-etched game code.
Starfield Constellation Edition: Price
The Starfield Constellation Edition comes at an astronomical (yes, pun intended) price tag of US $299.99.
Wrapping up
Starfield is one game that gamers worldwide are expected to keep playing for a long time, provided Bethesda has combined quality storytelling and gameplay. And we say that based on the prior experience and the expertise of the studio in such regards. Skyrim is over a decade old now, but people are still playing it. Plus, in Starfield, you also get the flexibility to design your character the way you want to.
Saying that the game world of Starfield is huge would be an understatement, as it comprises thousands of explorable planets with their own mysteries and challenges. Before diving headfirst into the ocean of such a game world, it is essential to know which game edition is right for you, something that we have tried to simplify for you.
Stepping up the Starfield marketing, Bethesda recently released three videos focusing on the lore and the type of characters you’ll meet in the game (and probably play them as well). The space RPG’s launch is about a month away, and there might be more coming.
If you love space games in the veins of Starfield, you might want to take a look at our list of the best space exploration games!
