Microsoft has updated the file size for Starfield on Xbox Series X|S.
The Xbox store page for Starfield now shows that the game file size is 139.84 GB. Meanwhile, the Steam page for the game still shows the file size of 125 GB.
Microsoft hasn’t explained the need for an extra 14 GB for the Xbox console version. It is possible that the Steam page will be updated later with this new bigger file size as well.
In a previous report, we did make some comparisons to other hefty downloads for modern games. The way things stand now, Starfield on Xbox Series X|S is now bigger than Borderlands 3, which was at 135 GB.
Still above it is last generation’s Final Fantasy mainline game, Final Fantasy XV. That game had such a scale that it dealt with a major timeskip for Noctis and his friends, that it takes nearly 29 hours to finish the base game, and 55 hours to finish it alongside all the expansions. To be clear, the base game is only at 83 GB, but with all the DLC and expansions, it goes up to 148 GB.
Slightly larger than that is a more recent dud from Square Enix, the PlayStation 5 exclusive Forspoken. We won’t kick a poorly received game when its down, so all we’ll note here is that that unusually large file size is not attributed to how big it is in terms of content, but a matter of poor optimization.
Another 2023 game that’s hitting the limits of your console’s storage, but was better received, was Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Cal Kestis’ latest foray was a critical hit, but truth be told, was also poorly optimized at launch. On PC in particular, it goes for a hefty 155 GB.
Of course, other space exploration games are considerably smaller. No Man’s Sky is only 8 GB on Windows, and 14 GB on Xbox One. Similarly, The Outer Wilds can be played at a minimum 6GB on Windows, and 11 GB on Xbox.
This larger file size is not necessarily because it was necessary for a space exploration game. Instead, it’s an indication of how Bethesda deliberately made this space exploration game bigger than its peers. We’re sure fans are eager to find out where all that storage is going to be used in the game.
Starfield releases on September 6, 2023, on Xbox Series X|S, and on Windows via Steam. It will also be Day One on Game Pass.
