Starfield finally arrives on Steam next month, but you’ll want to check out Starfield system requirements before venturing into Bethesda’s cosmos. Thankfully, minimum and recommended PC specs for the epic sci-fi RPG aren’t out of this world, and you should be able to get up to space age shenanigans using a graphics card from six years ago.
We’ve been keeping an eye on PC specs for the long awaited role playing romp, and with the official Starfield release date now on the horizon, preparing your system for take off is essential. Sure, you could chance it and try to explore the depths of space using an old rickety rig, but even running the game could be an issue if you’ve not got the right parts. With that in mind, you’ll at least want to try and aim for Starfield minimum requirements if you’re planning on picking up the next big Bethesda adventure on Steam.
If you’re already planning on picking up the best gaming PC, then you won’t need to worry as much about system requirements, as modern machines pack a punch. However, most of you out there are likely planning on either using an existing system or upgrading your older build, so here’s exactly what you’ll need to ensure you can run Starfield on day one.
Starfield system requirements
To meet Starfield minimum requirements, Bethesda says you’ll need a GPU on par with either the AMD Radeon RX 5700 or NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti. The latter arrived back in 2017, so it’s safe to say you won’t need the best graphics card to get up and running. In addition, the developer advises using a CPU like the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800K, but don’t let the i7 part fool you, as newer chips like 13th gen Intel i5-13600k should more than do the trick.
While Starfield likely won’t be too CPU intensive, it’s somewhat ravenous when it comes to RAM. Your rig will need at least 16GB to meet minimum requirements, which is double what most PC games out there need. The good news is that you won’t need even more memory if you’re hoping to match Starfield recommended requirements, as the figure applies to the developer’s suggested specs too.
On that note, Starfield recommended requirements are slightly more demanding, as the list includes GPUs like the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Keep in mind that the developer’s suggestions cater to those of you looking to boost fps at higher resolutions, so if you’re not itching peer at planets using the best gaming monitor, you could opt for a lower spec graphics card.
The same goes for Starfield processor recommendations, as while Bethesda explicitly mentions the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and Intel i5-10600K, there’s room to improvise. That said, the developer’s suggestions are designed to provide an optimal experience on PC, so if you can match or exceed the recommended parts above, you should do just that.
Starfield size requirements
You’ll soon be able to preload Starfield onto your console or PC of choice, and ensuring you have enough space and the right drive is vital. To download the RPG via Steam, you’ll need to free up at least 125GB, which might be a struggle if you’ve got chonky games like Baldur’s Gate 3 already installed.
Capacity isn’t the only thing that could catch your PC out, as Starfield is designed to use solid-state drives. You won’t necessarily need the best SSD for gaming, but if you’re still rocking an old mechanical hard drive, you may run into some trouble while planet hopping. We’ll need to wait for the game’s arrival before knowing if you outright can’t play Starfield using a HDD, but it’s easy to see how slower loading times would hamper your trip to space.
Looking to play Starfield on the go? Check out the best gaming laptops and explore space using a portable powerhouse. Alternatively, take a peek at the best Alienware gaming PC builds for appropriately themed sci-fi rigs.
