The price of video games has become steep for many players, with many opting not to get any of the biggest titles like Starfield at the release date. With the average price of an AAA now costing around $70, it’s become less worth buying a game at launch. Fortunately, there are cheap and affordable ways to play games, including Starfield. Since the game is a Microsoft title, you can play the game on the Xbox Game Pass, which is a cheaper option than paying the title at full price. It’s always a good idea to take advantage of the best deals available to you, especially if you want to play a game at launch.
How Much Does Starfield Cost?
You now have to assume that every game will launch at a full $70 price tag. There are still some titles that continue using the $60 price point, but most AAA games from big studios use the $70 pricing. Starfield costs the full price of a typical AAA game.
To add more complexity to Starfield’s pricing is that you must pre-order one of the special editions of Starfield to join the title’s early access. If you couldn’t afford the standard edition of Starfield at launch, you won’t be able to afford the other editions. A lot of games hide exclusive content like early access and cosmetics behind pricier versions of the titles.
The costs for the other Starfield Editions are below:
- Premium Edition – $99.99
- Constellation Edition – $299.99
Starfield is an Xbox-exclusive game, only available on the Xbox Series X/S and Windows. There will be no version of the title available on PlayStation at launch.
Starfield On Game Pass
Luckily, Starfield is one of the many games that will be available on Game Pass when it launches. Game Pass is a subscription service that gives subscribers a library of games on the Xbox or PC for a monthly fee.
Game Pass is one of the most affordable subscription services gamers can own. You can play mountains worth of games by simply paying Microsoft a small monthly fee. Microsoft will even release new titles on the Game Pass at launch dates.
Starfield will launch on the Microsoft Game Pass on September 6. There are several Game Pass tiers that you can subscribe to get Game Pass and play Starfield at launch. Each tier has a different price, but every tier is cheaper than the full retail cost of Starfield.
Here are the Game Pass tier costs:
- PC – $9.99 a month
- Console – $10.99 a month
- Ultimate (Console and PC) – $16.99 a month
However, subscribing to Game Pass only allows you to play Starfield at the release date. If you want early access to the game on Game Pass, you must upgrade the game to the Premium Edition for $35. It is still ultimately cheaper to get a Game Pass and update to the Premium Edition than to pay the $70 retail price.
Other Cheap Ways To Play Starfield
Another affordable method to try out Starfield is to purchase the game second-hand. A used copy of Starfield can be purchased from the likes of GameStop, Best Buy, or CEX, as well as online storefronts. Of course, if you’d prefer, you could even try to borrow physical copies of the game from friends who bought it. Again, though, only those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition will have the chance to play before Sept. 6.
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Being a gamer and financially responsible can be a difficult line to navigate through, especially as games become more expensive. Nevertheless, because of subscriptions like Game Pass, there are smart ways to play your favorite games at launch, including Starfield.