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We’re almost there. Two and a half years after its debut on Xbox Series and PC, Bethesda’s space RPG is finally making its way to PS5, much to the delight of many. Starfield may not have set the world on fire in the way its studio had originally hoped, but it has earned genuine affection from a dedicated portion of its community. A community that, from April 7th onwards, could welcome millions of new players, though one particular detail is already taking the shine off things for some.
The PS5 version of Starfield is already disappointing players before launch
It turns out Starfield is one of those games that requires a mandatory update before it can be launched for the first time, meaning an internet connection is non-negotiable, even for PS5 players who opted for a physical copy. As revealed by the account Does It Play? on X, of the 123GB required to run Starfield properly, only 81GB are actually present on the disc. The remaining data must be downloaded before the game will run at all.
For many players, that might seem like a minor inconvenience. But for those who invest in physical media precisely to own a complete, self-contained product, one that doesn’t depend on a mandatory day-one patch, it’s a deal-breaker. And it’s already prompting some PS5 players to reconsider their purchase entirely. “I mean I’m not surprised at this point, but thanks for letting me know and saving me some money,” wrote one user in response to the revelation. “Thanks for helping me save money I can put toward physical releases that actually deserve it,” added another. “Not surprised after the empty discs for Indiana Jones and DOOM,” chimed in a third.
The game arrives with a slate of new content
And that’s the crux of it, this is far from Bethesda’s first offence. The physical versions of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and DOOM: The Dark Ages were plagued by the same issue, and the pattern shows no signs of changing despite repeated complaints from the community.
Whether any of this will meaningfully dent Starfield’s performance on PS5 remains to be seen, the answer comes next week. The Bethesda RPG will launch at $49.99 on Sony’s console, bringing with it a range of new additions including new features and the free Free Lanes update. A new expansion, Terran Armada, will also launch simultaneously across all platforms, though PS5 players looking to access it will need to opt for the Premium edition of the game, priced at $69.99.
Source: X
