Starfield Early Access date and how to start playing early
Here's how to get Starfield early access and when the early access period begins
Want to know how to get early access to Starfield? Even by the standards of massive open-world RPGs, Bethesda's new flagship game looks to be truly gargantuan in scope. Starfield reportedly has thousands of planets to explore, and you're likely to need hundreds of hours to see everything the game has to offer. So if you want to get started exploring the game as soon as possible, then the Starfield early access date is your starting line.
In this quick guide we'll explain when the Starfield early access begins, and how to get access so you can get busy crafting your perfect spacefaring character and delving into the universe of Starfield nearly a whole week before the rest of the world.
Starfield Early Access date
The Starfield early access start date is Friday, 1st September 2023. That's five days before Starfield itself releases, although Bethesda notes that "actual play time depends on purchase date [...] and applicable time zone differences." Given how massive a game Starfield is shaping up to be, most players won't be able to get terribly far into the game in just five days. But even if you don't get early access, you'll still likely be able to watch the game being played on streams and videos by those who do have early access.
Of course, given how popular the Starfield early access is likely to be, there may be outages as Microsoft's servers are unable to handle the influx of many thousands of players. And it's a Bethesda game, after all. So don't expect an entirely smooth experience in early access!
How to get early access to Starfield
To get early access to Starfield, you need to purchase either the Premium Edition or the Constellation Edition. Both these options are quite a bit more expensive than the Standard Edition that most players will buy - the cost is £86 / $100 / €100 for the Premium Edition, or £250 / $300 / €300 for the Constellation Edition. But they also contain various extras - both digital and physical - in addition to giving you early access to the game. For more information, check out our dedicated guide on the different Starfield editions.
You can also upgrade your Standard Edition using the Premium Upgrade addon for £35 / $35 / €35, and this will also give early access to Game Pass players who have the Standard Edition included in their Game Pass subscription.
If you're preparing to dive deep into Bethesda's monumental RPG, then you'd best prepare with our guide on the Starfield PC requirements. Alternatively, if you're looking to play Starfield early access on your favourite handheld console, check out our primer asking: can Starfield run on Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally?
