Starfield preloads are now live on Steam so you can get ahead of its massive file size

An astronaut looks out over a snow covered mountain range with a ringed planetoid in the distance
(Image credit: Bethesda)

With Starfield releasing in a week, and early access beginning in a handful of days, players are getting set up to face what could be an incredibly lengthy download and a slight delay in take-off. But, for those who are keen to get stuck in from the moment the game unlocks, there are a few ways around these launch day download times. 

Pre-loads for Starfield have been made available for those who are jumping in via Steam, so as of today you will be able to get ahead of the curve and start tackling the staggering 134.9GB file size, which is a good bit larger than those playing via Xbox Series X|S. 

If you’re a proud owner of the premium edition on Xbox, you’ll have to download 116GB, or 100GB if you’re settling for the Standard Edition. Regardless of which platform you’re using, it'll be a lengthy download, so it’s definitely worth pre-loading now you have the chance. 

For players on PC via PC Game Pass, or those on Xbox Series X|S, preloads for the title have been available for almost two weeks, so there’s already been an ample amount of time to get the game downloading. If you’re stuck for storage, you might want to check out our list of the best Xbox Series X hard drives and SSDs to ensure you’ve got more than enough space in advance of launch day too. 

There are only a few more days until you can join Constellation and finally dive into the world of Starfield, and after the delays the title has faced before launch, making things as streamlined as possible by preloading the game in advance is worth considering because the last thing you want to encounter when trying to jump into one of the most anticipated upcoming games of the year is any further delay. 

If you’re looking for a game or two to sink into while you wait for Starfield to unlock, it’s worth checking out our list of the best RPGs, alongside our list of the best single-player games. We’re also anticipating Starfield to become one of the best games on Game Pass, so it’s worth checking out the competition in advance of launch.

Kara Phillips
Evergreen Writer

Kara is an Evergreen writer at TechRadar Gaming. With a degree in Journalism and a passion for the weird and wonderful, she's spent the last few years as a freelance video game journalist, with bylines at NintendoLife, Attack of the Fanboy, Prima Games, and sister publication, GamesRadar+. Outside of gaming, you'll find her re-watching Gilmore Girls or trying to cram yet another collectible onto a shelf that desperately needs some organizing.