Xbox: Starfield launch date and release time, how to get early access and how to pre-order

Bethesda have released early-access for their space-based RPG Starfield. The Xbox exclusive has been highly anticipated by fans and is the developer’s first new intellectual property in 29 years.

Fans have been waiting since 2018 to get their hands on the new game and now many will have early access ahead of the game’s official launch on the Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 6. The game was originally expected to launch in 2022, but was pushed back to this year after Starfield director Todd Howard said the extra time would allow the game to be even better.

Starfield is coming from the studio behind both the Skyrim and Fallout series, with many fans eager to see what the first unique game in over 25 years will bring. Here’s everything you need to know about the launch, including how to get early access.

When is Starfield early access?

Starfield early access launched at 1am BST on Friday, September 1, meaning that some players are already enjoying the game.

How to get Starfield early access?

In order to get early access to Starfield, you will need to pre-order either the Starfield Digital-Only Premium Edition or the Constellation Edition.

Here’s some of the places to pre-order the game:

How to pre-order Starfield

Starfield is still available to pre-order from the Xbox Store and other sites until its release date on September 6. The game can pre-ordered from the following places:

When can I pre-load Starfield before launch?

Pre-loading is now available for Starfield on the Xbox. However the game is a hefty 125GB and will take a while to install before you can start playing.

Pre-loading the game to your console can be really helpful, even if you’re playing the game through Game Pass as it means you can jump straight into the game when it is launched. If you’ve pre-ordered a physical version of the game then you can still pre-load the game by downloading the Xbox App.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, sign in using your Microsoft account and search for Starfield, which will then give you the option to pre-load the game.