Starfield PS5 review: out of this world | Tech Radar

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I've spent over 30 hours customizing my ship, recruiting crew members, collecting bounties, and combating aliens in Starfield on PS5, and I've still barely scratched the surface of Bethesda's sci-fi RPG

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A fantastic but flawed spacefaring adventure, Starfield struggled to stand out from Bethesda's heavy RPG hitters when it was originally released. Over two years later, it's an incredibly deep, compelling sci-fi story that's only gotten better with age – and updates and expansions, plus new PS5-specific features. If you're a fan of the genre craving your next fix, this definitive take on the sci-fi epic shouldn't be missed.

++ A refined, polished, and evolved take on the reliable Bethesda RPG formula

A refined, polished, and evolved take on the reliable Bethesda RPG formula

-Lacks the personality of the developer’s most beloved series

Lacks the personality of the developer’s most beloved series

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If you're a gamer with a pulse, you may have noticed that a few new titles were announced at this year's Summer Game Fest. Of course, if you're a Bethesda Softworks stalwart who'd hoped the event would yield fresh intel on the game maker's next Fallout and Elder Scrolls entries, then, well, you may have been more disappointed than delighted by its many reveals.

Platform reviewed: Play Station 5 Pro Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5 Release date: April 7, 2026

While both Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online shared peeks of future updates – and a Doom: The Dark Ages expansion was announced – details on the studio's most anticipated, long-awaited games were sadly a no-show. All that said, one of Bethesda's biggest, most ambitious efforts has recently been released on Play Station platforms.

Arriving two-plus years after its exclusive launch on PC and Xbox Series X and Series S, sprawling sci-fi role-playing game Starfield has finally landed on Sony's systems…but with little fanfare. That's a bit surprising, as the 2023 role-playing game (RPG) is not only one of Bethesda's best original efforts in recent years, but one that has reserved its most polished, content-packed version for Play Station 5 and Play Station 5 Pro owners.

If you're a new Constellation recruit, let's catch you up real quick. Starfield is a big, ambitious Bethesda RPG not unlike the studio's other staple series within the genre. While it's not exactly The Elder Scrolls in space, its systems-fueled gameplay, expansive open-world, and author-your-own-adventure formula will feel comfortably familiar to anyone who's sunk hours into the fantasy RPG series or the Fallout franchise.

Starfield essentially refines, polishes, and expands on those games' enduring formulas…then recruits you as a starship captain and hurtles you into the scary expanse of the cosmic frontier. As you might expect, there's plenty of enemies to eviscerate, massive progression paths to evolve, resources to gather, items to craft, factions to tangle with, mysteries to uncover, and so much more.

But as a galaxy-exploring, planet-hopping sci-fi RPG, you can also count on deep starship customization, crew member recruitment, dogfights among the stars, and ugly extraterrestrials looking to turn you to pulp. Starfield allows you to dig deep into all of these elements while also steering and shaping your journey, molding it to your playstyle and preference at every turn.

While you're certainly welcome to stick to the critical path and closely adhere to the game's narrative, it's at its best when you're fulfilling your own sci-fi fantasies – whether that's becoming a pistol-packing bounty hunter, peace-keeping diplomat, or just some dude who really digs collecting and customizing a fleet of cool starships.

Despite giving players the keys to a lightspeed-capable craft and encouraging them to author their own sci-fi epic, Starfield wasn't without its share of flaws when it was originally released. From empty-feeling planets and a confusing economy to clunky combat, sometimes sluggish travel, and an overall lack of charm and personality, it left some players as cold as deep space.

But like any ambitious AAA game with two-plus years' worth of updates, patches, and expansions in its rearview, Starfield has benefited from a spaceport full of improvements and polish since releasing in the summer of 2023. On top of countless quality-of-life tweaks, it's also seen several significant updates, like the awesome planet-roving REV-8 vehicle that makes exploring even the most boring expanses a rubber-burning blast.

But Starfield's biggest update by far has nicely coincided with the game's PS5 release, leading to what Bethesda producer Tim Lamb called its "best version" in a recent interview with Tech Radar. The substantial offering introduces a ton more tweaks, improvements, and even fresh content, from a powerful new resource that deepens customization to an adorable alien pet companion you can adopt.

The update's biggest game-changers, however, are its "Free Lanes" and "Cruise Mode" additions, which blow some of Starfield's more tedious elements out an airlock. Combined, these enhancements introduce seamless, smoother, and more satisfying space travel, allowing for easier planet-to-planet navigation, as well as the ability to manage many of the game's complex systems while casually cruising through the stars.

While this latest update will likely feel long overdue for existing fans, it's just an organic, out-of-the-box part of the experience for those earning their captain stripes in the PS5 version. Those same new recruits are also treated to the game's story-based expansions, Shattered Space and the more recent Terran Armada, which add hours of content and are included in the premium edition's $70 price.

In addition to all previous patches and enhancements – as well as the new update – PS5 players are treated to some Sony platform-specific features when they strap into the cockpit. Starfield doesn't skimp on the extras that smartly leverage the consoles' unique elements and – in the Play Station 5 Pro's case – considerable horsepower.

PS5 players can choose between a graphics-favoring Visual mode and a frame-rate-focused Performance option. The former delivers 4K resolution – with PSSR upscaling doing some of the heavy lifting – at 30fps, while the latter ups the frames to 60-per-second at the cost of dropping the resolution to 1080p. The Pro also gets its own Enhanced mode, which further optimizes specific visual features, like foliage and draw distances, at 30fps.

I primarily played on the Pro, and found the Visual mode to offer the best overall experience, delivering fantastic fidelity and a peppy framerate that never felt compromised. I also found that the Pro's performance mode actually offered a slight visual bump over the base PS5's graphics mode. All that said, the game ran smoothly and looked great on the standard system.

No, Starfield is not a Star Wars game, but that tiny detail didn't keep me from becoming the best bounty hunter its Settled Systems had ever seen. The game encourages you to carve your own galaxy-spanning path, and that's just what I did – complete with a cool jetpack and lethal hand cannon. Toss in brimming bounty boards with targets just begging to be brought in, dead or alive, and Boba Fett has nothing on me.

More impressive is what the game accomplishes with the Dual Sense across all PS5 platforms. While plenty of ports take advantage of the controller's adaptive trigger and haptic feedback tech, Starfield goes above and beyond, fully integrating these features, but also leveraging the peripheral's light bar and built-in speaker to significantly up the immersion. The game ultimately serves as a great showcase of what the controller's unique features can bring to an interactive entertainment experience when fully utilized.

Much like Bethesda Softworks' PS5 port of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the studio's latest looks and plays better than ever on Sony's systems. But Starfield's Play Station debut actually shares more with Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed, which arrived on PS5 consoles not only with the usual graphical and performance bumps, but also with a host of welcome updates and new content that made it the definitive version of the game.

Thanks to two-plus years of tweaks and enhancements – as well as a recent, significant update adding even more polish, improvements, and content – that's exactly what fans are getting with Starfield's latest release, a definitive experience that makes an already fantastic game out of this world.

It felt a bit rough around the edges the first time around While Starfield wasn't riddled with bugs upon release, it did suffer from a number of minor issues that have since been addressed via patches and updates. It now plays smoother, more seamlessly, and feels like a complete, polished experience on PS5.

You were waiting for the definitive edition Starfield's PS5 release is the complete package, not only benefiting from two-plus years of fixes, patches, and polish, but also including all previously released content. In addition to a major new update addressing some of the game's most glaring issues, Starfield's $70 premium edition packs two full story expansions, including the new Terran Armada.

You want a game that leverages the PS5 Pro's power More than a mere port, Starfield arrives on the PS5 Pro with three modes – Visual, Performance, and Enhanced – as well as full integration of the Dual Sense's unique features. If you're seeking the best looking – and performing – version of the game, while also wanting to experience the increased immersion the controller can deliver, you should dock your craft with the Pro.

Starfield's setting, story, and characters didn't click with you before Starfield's Play Station 5 release benefits from a host of updates and improvements, but most apply primarily to the game's various systems and mechanics. While there's some fun new narrative elements to be found in the Terran Armada expansion, the game has not changed stylistically, with its story, setting, and characters remaining the same.

Starfield's accessibility features feel pretty bare bones, offering some standard options for adjusting audio settings, as well as different selections for subtitles, captions, and fonts.

There's plenty in the way of controller mapping options, but little depth in other areas. And some features that have become fairly standard, like color filter modes and other assists for visually-impaired players, are notably absent here.

I spent 30-plus hours exploring, battling, and adventuring through Starfield's Settled Systems. During my time on planet surfaces and among the stars, I focused on the many updates the game has received since its launch, from its dozens of quality-of-life tweaks to its more significant inclusions and enhancements.

I also tested the various quality and performance modes on both my PS5 and PS5 Pro. Finally, I paid particular attention to how the game looked and played today – on Sony's consoles – versus how it felt when I first experienced it on my Xbox Series X. I played on my TCL 4K TV, with HDR enabled, using Sony's Play Station Pulse Elite headset for audio.

A full-time writer and game consultant hailing from Lizzie Borden's hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts, Matt has been covering video games, tech, film, television, and theme parks for nearly 20 years. When not contributing to the likes of IGN, CNN, Forbes, Fandango, Netflix, Entertainment Weekly, Star Wars.com, and many more, Matt can be found in the basement of a haunted asylum hoarding all the med-kits, ammo crates, and canned goods.

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Key Takeaways

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
I've spent over 30 hours customizing my ship, recruiting crew members, collecting bounties, and combating aliens in Starfield on PS5, and I've still barely scratched the surface of Bethesda's sci-fi RPG
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission