It's September 3, 2023, and Starfield's third day out on early access. In the first 24 hours, the space opera game registered over 230,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, who purchased the Premium Edition for $99.99. However, it's important to note that players do not need to pay this price as the entire game will be added to the Xbox Game Pass on the same day when the Standard Edition unlocks.
Some critics argue that releasing games on day one to the Game Pass potentially hurts sales, but the numbers from Steam invalidate this claim. In fact, over 230,000 players have proven that adding a game to the Xbox Game Pass on its release day doesn't hurt its sales.
Starfield is a single-player game, so starting your journey on September 6 won't make any difference. The extra items you get from the Premium Edition have little impact at the moment. The Xbox Game Pass subscription is a far cheaper option that allows players to have enough time to complete the full game.
Buying Starfield on Steam costs more, and while it provides access even after one month is over, it lacks the advantages of the Xbox Game Pass, such as access to the extensive Steam Workshop for modding.
The fact that Starfield has become a top seller on Steam and garnered a large number of concurrent players shows that the community favors the Xbox Game Pass option. It is expected that the player count will surge once the Standard Edition is unlocked on September 6.
While the exact number of players will remain hidden as some prefer playing through their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, there is no evidence to suggest that Starfield's sales have been hampered by its inclusion in the subscription service. In fact, it is possible that it could result in more revenue for Microsoft as players may opt for an Xbox Game Pass membership to enjoy the game.
In conclusion, the Starfield Premium Edition may be worth it for those who are enthusiastic about the game and want to play for an extra five days. However, for a far cheaper alternative, the Xbox Game Pass subscription provides access to the Standard Edition and is favored by the community.
Sources:
– Sportskeeda: [source title]
– YouTube video 1: [source title]
– YouTube video 2: [source title]