Starfield’s Physical Editions Won’t Include Discs

Digital media continues to expand its share in the market at an increasing rate, and though we’re not yet in a place where major releases are skipping physical releases entirely (though it is certainly beginning to happen), physical versions of many games end up having caveats that kind of miss the point of a physical release. Add Starfield to that ever-growing list of games.

Bethesda has confirmed on Twitter that all physical versions of the upcoming space-faring RPG will include only a download code for the game, and won’t actually include physical discs. Things such as permanent ownership and online connectivity have been major factors in the physical vs digital debate for a long time, so to see a big upcoming release slapping its physical release with the old “download codes only” caveat is going to be disappointing to plenty.

Starfield is set to launch on September 6 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Hello! All physical editions include a code for the chosen platform. There are no physical discs.

— Bethesda Support (@BethesdaSupport) June 25, 2023