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Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield is just weeks away: It’s coming to Windows PC and Xbox Series X on Sept. 6, with an early-access period kicking off a few days earlier on Sept. 1. To prep for Starfield’s launch, Microsoft and Bethesda will make the spacefaring adventure available for preload — a considerate move, since both versions of the game will require a download well above 100 GB.
On Wednesday, Microsoft and Bethesda confirmed that Starfield will be available for preload on Xbox Series X (and S) first, starting on Thursday, Aug. 17. On Xbox platforms, Starfield weighs in at approximately 125 GB. That’s almost a third of the usable storage space on an Xbox Series S SSD, so you may want to look into a storage expansion card for your Xbox if you’re short on space.
Starfield on PC will be available to preload starting Aug. 30. That version of the game will eat up about 140 GB of storage space, according to the game’s listing on Xbox.com. The game’s system requirements as listed on Steam indicate a 125 GB download, though. Here’s a look at what you’ll need to play the PC version of Starfield:
Starfield PC system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Minimum | Recommended |
| OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (10.0.19043) | OS: Windows 10/11 with updates |
| Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K | Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K |
| Memory: 16 GB RAM | Memory: 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, Nvidia GeForce 1070 Ti | Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 |
| DirectX: Version 12 | DirectX: Version 12 |
| Storage: 125 GB available space | Network: Broadband Internet connection |
| Additional Notes: SSD Required | Storage: 125 GB available space |
| Additional Notes: SSD Required |
If you want to play Starfield early, you’ll need to purchase the $99.99 Premium Edition of the game. If you’re playing through a Game Pass subscription, you’ll need to purchase the $34.99 Starfield Premium Upgrade. More details about the game’s various editions and pre-order perks can be seen in Polygon’s Starfield pre-order guide.
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