Starfield early access release date & time, Game Pass, how to play 5 days early

Starfield early access is fantastic news for anyone who can't wait to explore all of the planets, and we've got the release date and time, Game Pass details, and everything you need to do to play five days early right here.

Starfield is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, with it being the next big single-player RPG from Bethesda Game Studios, and its first new IP in over 20 years. You might need to hurry up when deciding your backgrounds and traits though, as there is a way to play the game early.

Thankfully, we've got all of the details for you below, so make sure to continue reading to see the breakdown of Starfield's early access and find out how to play five days early on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass

Early access release date & time

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The Starfield early access release date is September 1, 2023, with a global release occurring simultaneously, so players can start playing five days early.

Find out the Starfield early access start time below, with all of the timezone details you'll need:

Jumping in as soon as the early access goes live in your timezone means that you'll be able to get started on the various skills, romance options, and even buying your own house.

How to play five days early

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To play Starfield early access five days early, you'll need to purchase one of the game's special editions, which are the Digital Premium Edition, Premium Edition Upgrade, or the Constellation Edition.

Securing one of these will allow you to play up to five days of early access, meaning players can begin their Starfield journey ahead of time on September 1, 2023, instead.

Xbox console players and those purchasing the game on the Xbox PC app will also be able to preload Starfield to be ready for the early access period, whereas Steam users must wait until August 30, 2023.

However, it is worth noting that there is a disclaimer with purchasing the special editions and getting Starfield early access. This states:

"Actual playtime depends on purchase date and is subject to possible outages and applicable timezone differences"

This essentially means that some players will be getting their early access time a little later depending on their timezone, and players who jump in and buy one of these editions after September 1, 2023, will obviously have less playtime prior to release. 

Playing early access on Game Pass?

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You can also play Starfield early access on Xbox and PC Game Pass, but you'll need to purchase the Premium Edition Upgrade with the same account you have Game Pass on.

The Starfield Xbox Game Pass Premium Edition Upgrade will cost you $34.99/£34.99 if you have the standard version of Game Pass, and then $31.99/£31.99 if you have Game Pass Ultimate. While this is certainly a heft cost for five days, it might be worth the price for the dedicated players out there - especially if you consider that you're getting the game for 'free' anyway.

Sadly, if you end your Game Pass subscription, you will lose access to Starfield and won't get early access five days before launch - even if you do have the Premium Edition Upgrade content - so keep that in mind.

That's all for our coverage of how to get Starfield early access, and now you know you can purchase one of the special editions to play up to five days earlier on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and with Xbox Game Pass.

For more Starfield guides, stick with GGRecon. Alternatively, check out if Starfield will have mod support.