Starfield has officially launched on PlayStation 5, ending its two-year stint as an Xbox and PC exclusive. CGMagazine has one of the first formal reviews of the PS5 version. This release represents a key change for Bethesda Game Studios, which released the space RPG on September 6, 2023, hoping that exclusivity would boost Game Pass subscriptions.
The arrival of a PS5 port is interesting, especially considering Starfield’s mixed reception history. On Steam, the game has a mere 56% positive rating from 118,042 reviews, reflecting a “Mixed” rating. This sharply contrasts with its Metacritic score of 88, which represents critic opinions at launch rather than long-term player sentiment. The gap between press scores and player feedback has shaped Starfield’s post-launch narrative more than any other major release in recent memory.
Player retention tells a similar story. Starfield currently sees around 5,274 concurrent players on Steam, placing it well below Bethesda’s Fallout 4, which experienced a huge resurgence after the Fallout TV series aired in 2024. Bethesda has tried to address player concerns through updates. A July 2026 piece from our archives noted that the Free Lanes Update moved the needle, but not enough to significantly change the trend.
The PS5 version is priced at $39.99 on Steam, suggesting Bethesda has adjusted the game’s positioning from its original $69.99 launch price. The big question now is whether Sony’s platform will attract a new audience for the RPG. PlayStation players haven’t had access to the base game or its post-launch content, including the Shattered Space expansion. This means a fresh install base is coming in, largely unaffected by the criticisms from the PC community.
Bethesda’s choice to bring Starfield to PS5 aligns with a broader Microsoft strategy of releasing first-party titles across multiple platforms. Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded all made their way to PlayStation in 2024, generating significant revenue beyond the Xbox ecosystem. Starfield, being the largest of these potential ports, represents the highest-stakes test of this multiplatform strategy so far.
| Original Release Date | September 6, 2023 |
| Metacritic Score | 88 |
| Steam Review Score | 56% positive (118,042 reviews) |
| Current Steam Concurrent Players | 5,274 |
| Current Steam Price | $39.99 |
Community opinions on Steam have become more rigid over time. One reviewer candidly noted: “A walking simulator with loading screens between every step.” This critique highlights the game’s heavy reliance on fast-travel transitions instead of providing seamless planetary exploration. This complaint has frequently appeared in negative reviews and reflects a structural design choice that Bethesda hasn’t fundamentally changed through post-launch patches.
What To Watch
- CGMagazine’s PS5 score versus the original review: Whether the PS5 version will receive a different critical assessment or merely carry over existing strengths and weaknesses will reveal how much platform-specific optimization Bethesda invested in this release.
- PS5 player retention at 30 and 90 days: A new audience without prior PC exposure might create a different reception curve or confirm that the game’s structural issues go beyond platform familiarity.
- Future Bethesda exclusivity commitments: With Starfield now on multiple platforms, the industry will be watching to see if Microsoft uses the same strategy for The Elder Scrolls VI before or after its eventual release.
Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is the Reviews and Guides Editor at Explosion.com. With a background in game design studies and 6 years of gaming journalism, Sarah brings technical insight to her reviews and creates comprehensive guides that help players get the most out of their games. She has reviewed over 200 titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. Her current obsessions include FromSoftware titles and indie roguelikes.
