To get Starfield early access, you needed to buy one of the pricier editions (or an upgrade) that included a 5‑day head start rather than the regular launch access.

Quick Scoop

  • Standard Edition and basic Game Pass did not include early access.
  • Early access was tied to Premium‑tier editions and a special upgrade for Game Pass players.
  • The early access window was five days before the standard release.

How to get Starfield early access

Historically, there were three main routes people used:

  1. Buy the Premium Edition (digital or physical)
    • Cost around 100 USD/GBP in many regions.
 * Included:
   * Five days of early access.

   * The Shattered Space story expansion when released.

   * Constellation skin pack and other cosmetic items.

   * Digital art book and original soundtrack.
  1. Buy the Constellation (collector’s) Edition
    • High‑end physical collector’s box (roughly 300 USD at launch).
 * Included everything from the Premium Edition (including early access), plus physical goodies like themed items and collectibles.
  1. Use Game Pass with a Premium Edition Upgrade
    • If you already had Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass for PC, you could:
      • Keep using the base game via Game Pass.
      • Purchase a cheaper “Premium Edition Upgrade” to unlock:
        • The same five‑day early access.
     * The same DLC, skins, and digital extras as the full Premium Edition.

In all cases, the Standard Edition (including the one accessed through Game Pass alone) did not grant early access on its own.

What this means now

Starfield’s official early‑access window was tied to its original release period (five days before the standard launch date), so that window has already passed.

If you’re looking up “how to get Starfield early access” today, the practical takeaways are:

  • Those early access perks have effectively turned into bundle bonuses (skins, expansion entitlement, artbook, soundtrack) you still get if you buy the higher‑tier editions or the upgrade.
  • Game Pass players can still buy the upgrade if it is available in your region and get the extra content, but not an “early” release anymore since the main launch has long since happened.

Forum and community chatter

Back when early access was live, forum threads and subreddit posts were full of:

  • Players confirming that:
    • Premium Edition and Constellation Edition unlocked the game five days early on Xbox and PC.
* Game Pass users needed the separate Premium Edition Upgrade, not just a subscription.
  • Confusion about:
    • Cloud gaming support for early access; some users reported cloud not working for early access sessions even if the upgrade was purchased.
* Regional unlock times (e.g., “it says 5pm and it’s not working yet”), which created launch‑day megathreads and troubleshooting posts.

A typical sentiment from that period was along the lines of:

“Standard/Game Pass is fine if you don’t mind waiting; if you must no‑life it on day 1, pay for the Premium or the upgrade and treat it like a mini‑collector’s edition.”

Mini FAQ (2026 context)

  • Can I still get “early access” now?
    No, the early access window is tied to the original release. Buying Premium now won’t roll the clock back; it just gives you the bonus content.
  • Is there any way to “play early” via new DLC or expansions?
    Bethesda sometimes ties preorders of expansions to early unlocks for that expansion’s content, but that would be specific to each DLC or update and not the base game itself.
  • Is Game Pass enough on its own?
    Game Pass alone gives you the Standard Edition at the normal release timeline, not early access.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.