Starfield is one of the biggest releases of 2023, smashing sales records for Bethesda Game Studios and propelling itself to the forefront of the industry. It’s a game that everyone wants to play, offering near-unparalleled opportunities to explore a gargantuan universe and become the space adventurer you always wanted to be. But for those looking to invest in the game, what’s the best way to get it? Is Starfield on Game Pass, for instance?

It’s an Xbox-exclusive game, and that means that it’s only available on Xbox Series X|S and PC platforms – it’s not on PlayStation and it never will be. Does that automatically mean that Starfield is on Game Pass, though? In this guide, we’ll break down the best way to obtain a copy of the game, including whether or not Starfield is available to download from Game Pass.

Is Starfield on Game Pass For Free?

If you’ve got a subscription to Xbox Game Pass (or PC Game Pass) then you’re in luck – Starfield is on Game Pass. It’s one of the biggest and most popular games to ever be released on the service, and it’s a huge boon for those who are subscribing to it. It means that they can not only download Starfield for no extra cost, but thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere, they can access their Starfield saves with a cross-platform function, literally playing Starfield anywhere in the world.

However, there were millions of gamers who didn’t want to wait for Starfield to hit Game Pass – they wanted to get it as soon as possible. This meant that some two million players picked up Starfield in ‘early access’, where it launched a week early. By doing this, they all paid around $100 for the game, proving just how exciting and incredible this title is.

If they could wait a few days, they’d have gotten it for free with Game Pass – but they were too eager to jump in and get started. So, they parted ways with $100 each to get in as quickly as possible. That’s a dedication to the product, for sure.

Related: How Long is Starfield?

Should You Buy Starfield Instead?

There’s an ability to buy Starfield if you’re not a subscriber of Game Pass, of course. There are three editions to choose from, too. If you want to get the all-singing, all-dancing version, then you’ll want the Constellation Edition. This comes with the highest edition of the game and a stack of collector’s items, but it’ll run you up a bill of around $300 at the moment. Beneath that, there’s the Premium Edition, which includes lots of digital content – including the game’s first expansion.

That’ll cost you around $100, but for the most part, the value in that is gone. It was a big seller because it promised that early access period that gamers were so excited to grab – but that has obviously been eradicated by the fact that the game is now released globally.

So, the best way to maximise your Starfield gains is to get the Game Pass version and pay around $35 to ‘upgrade it’. You’ll unlock a boost to the Premium Edition and get all the digital content, and you won’t be paying $100 to access it.

Is Starfield on Game Pass? Yes, it is – and that’s ideally how you should get your copy.

Stay tuned for more Starfield news on Esports.net