Starfield Guide#
About the Game#
Starfield is an action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks — the studio’s first brand-new IP in 25 years, from the team behind The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. It is a strictly single-player experience with no multiplayer mode and no PvP.
The game is set in 2330 in the Settled Systems, a region of space roughly 50 light-years from our solar system, long after humanity left Earth to colonize the stars. You start out as a hired miner who unearths a mysterious Artifact while on the job, then joins Constellation, an organization of explorers, and gradually uncovers the truth behind the Starborn and the cycle of the universe as you gather more Artifacts.
Basic Information#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official title | Starfield |
| Genre | Action role-playing (ARPG), single-player only, no multiplayer / PvP |
| Developer | Bethesda Game Studios |
| Publisher | Bethesda Softworks (under ZeniMax / Microsoft) |
| Setting | 2330, the Settled Systems, about 50 light-years from the solar system |
| Content scale | 1,000+ landable planets and moons across 100+ star systems |
| Original release | September 6, 2023 (Xbox Series X|S and PC) |
| PS5 version | Released April 7, 2026 |
| Launch platforms | Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), day one on Xbox Game Pass / PC Game Pass; no PS4, Xbox One or PS5 version at launch |
The PS5 version supports DualSense adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and the touchpad, and PS5 Pro offers both a quality mode and a performance mode. A Switch 2 version has only been rumored and may be delayed or cancelled — it has not been officially confirmed.
Launch Pricing#
| Edition | Launch price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $69.99 | Base game |
| Premium | $99.99 | Includes Shattered Space and other additional content |
| Premium Upgrade | $34.99 | Upgrade pack for Game Pass subscribers |
| Constellation Physical Collector’s Edition | $299.99 | Physical collector’s edition |
Pre-ordering the Premium or Constellation edition unlocked the game five days early on September 1, 2023. According to media reports from March 2026, the base edition price on PS5 and other platforms has dropped to $49.99.
Core Features (Verified Mechanics)#
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Space exploration | 1,000+ landable planets and moons across 100+ star systems, traversed via Grav Jump |
| Skill system | 82 skills, 4 ranks each, 328 skill ranks in total, split across Physical, Social, Combat, Science and Tech trees; there is no official respec system |
| Character building | No class system — characters are defined by Background and Traits |
| Starborn powers | Collect Artifacts in the main quest and enter Temples to unlock Powers |
| Ship building | Modular construction and customization; ships fall into A, B and C reactor classes with Power Allocation |
| Outposts | Build Outposts on planet surfaces and link several together with Cargo Links to form production chains |
| Minigames | Two core minigames — Digipick lockpicking and persuasion dialogue — plus planet Surveying and Photo Mode |
| NG+ cycle | After finishing the story, pass through the Unity to begin New Game+, gaining the Starborn armor and Starborn ship; repeatable for escalating rewards |
| Official mods | The Creations paid mod store and Creation Kit 2 launched on 2024-06-09 |
| Ground vehicles | The REV-8 wheeled ground vehicle (added in update 1.13.61, purchasable from ship technicians) |
Companions and Romance Options#
There are four companions you can romance and marry, all of them members of Constellation: Sarah Morgan, Barrett, Andreja and Sam Coe. The robot Vasco also travels with you. Individual companion quest names have not been catalogued here and are therefore not listed.
Major Factions and Major Cities#
| Faction | Base | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|
| Constellation | The Lodge, New Atlantis | The core exploration group of the main story; your default affiliation |
| United Colonies | MAST district, New Atlantis | The central government, with the UC Vanguard questline |
| Freestar Collective | Akila City | A frontier autonomous alliance, with the Freestar Rangers questline |
| Ryujin Industries | Neon | Corporate infiltration, stealth-oriented |
| Crimson Fleet | The Key station | Pirate faction, undercover storyline |
| House Va’ruun | Va’ruun’kai | The central faction of Shattered Space |
| Major city | Location |
|---|---|
| New Atlantis | Jemison, Alpha Centauri system |
| Akila City | Cheyenne system |
| Neon | Volii system |
| Cydonia | Mars, Sol system |
PC System Requirements#
Official PC system requirements have not been verified here, so no table is filled in to avoid misleading readers — please refer to the information published on the Steam store page.
DLC and the Big 2026 Update#
| Name | Release / launch date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shattered Space | 2024-09-30 | Priced at $29.99; focuses on House Va’ruun and the planet Va’ruun’kai; free with the Premium and Constellation editions |
| Terran Armada | 2026-04-07 | Launched alongside the PS5 version, adding a new faction and story content; some reports list a separate $10 price (single source, needs further verification) |
| Free Lanes update | 2026-04-07 | Released the same day as the PS5 version and called by the studio the largest update since launch: improved space exploration, seamless travel within star systems, new encounters and activities, and an expanded progression system; reports also mention a cruise mode and autopilot |
Version Update History (Verified Timeline)#
| Version | Date | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2023-09-06 | Launch build |
| 1.8.86 | 2023-11 | DLSS Frame Generation |
| 1.9.51 | 2024-01 | Ultrawide monitor support |
| 1.9.67 | 2024-02 | FSR 3 and Intel XeSS |
| 1.10.32 | 2024-03 | Photo Mode enhancements |
| 1.11.33 | 2024-05 | Larger surface map boundaries, tiered ground and ship combat difficulty, Starborn ship decorations |
| 1.12.30 | 2024-06 | Creations paid mod store; Creation Kit 2 (launched 2024-06-09); Trackers Alliance bounty quests; ammunition crafting |
| 1.13.61 | 2024-08 | REV-8 wheeled ground vehicle, purchasable from ship technicians |
| 1.14.70 | 2024-09/10 | Shattered Space support and fixes |
| 1.15.222 | 2025-07-22 | Creations update |
| Free Lanes | 2026-04-07 | The studio’s largest update since launch, released alongside the PS5 version and Terran Armada |
Reception and Commercial Performance#
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Metacritic critic score (Xbox Series X) | 83 (about 90 reviews) |
| Metacritic critic score (PC) | 85 (80 reviews; was 88 at launch) |
| Metacritic critic score (PS5) | 78 (32 reviews) |
| Metacritic user score (Xbox) | 6.8/10 (13,642 ratings) |
| IGN / GameSpot / Game Informer | 7/10, 7/10, 8.5/10 |
| Steam all-time peak concurrent players | Over 330,000 |
Media reports also state that the studio announced more than 14 million players with an average of 40+ hours played (single source; verify before citing). Steam review percentages and main-story completion times have not been verified from reliable data, so no figures are given.
How to Use This Guide#
- First playthrough: start with the beginner basics to understand character creation and the opening flow
- Mid-game planning: check the skill breakdown, faction introductions and ship building sections to plan your progression and infrastructure
- After the story: read the endgame section for the Unity cycle and the DLC
- Quick lookup: the FAQ page organizes the criteria you need when making choices
Note: every page in this section is based on facts verified online as of 2026-10-08; anything not covered is marked as such, with no speculation.
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Starfield single-player or multiplayer? | Strictly single-player, with no multiplayer mode and no PvP |
| How does Starfield relate to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout? | Made by the same studio, but with a completely independent setting |
| How long is the main story? | No verifiable completion-time data has been catalogued, so no estimate is given |
| Does it support mods? | Yes — the Creations paid mod store and Creation Kit 2 launched on 2024-06-09 |
| Is there New Game+? | Yes — after finishing the story you pass through the Unity to begin a New Game+, gaining the Starborn armor and Starborn ship |
| Can my PC run it? | Official PC requirements have not been verified here; please refer to the Steam store page |
Achievements#
The base game has 50 achievements and Shattered Space adds 12 more, each with its own unlock conditions.
Related Games#
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Bethesda’s other flagship open-world RPG, built on the same studio design DNA
- Baldur’s Gate 3 — a large-scale single-player RPG with deep character building
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — a sprawling open-world RPG driven by factions and questlines
- Cyberpunk 2077 — a dense sci-fi open world with heavy story branching
- Elden Ring — a vast open-world action RPG for players who want scale plus demanding combat
Related Rankings#
Best Open-World Games · Best RPGs · Largest Open-World Maps
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, story walkthrough, factions, skill breakdown, systems, ship building, crafting, locations, lore, endgame content, secrets, minigames, achievements, FAQ, version updates, challenges, controls and settings, gallery, resources and tips — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Starfield section.