Starfield Early Access Release Time and US UK Countdown Timer

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In this guide, we’re covering Starfield’s early access start time, alongside a countdown to break up the launch and how you can play it earlier. is releasing five days early for those who have Early Access. The news comes as a surprise to many, only having been revealed the month before release. However, now that early access is confirmed, the best thing you can do is find out when you can get it.

Make sure you’ve pre-ordered the game correctly or at least have Game Pass. If you’re on PlayStation you may be out of luck with this game. Either way, look below for an easy way to get in this new Bethesda title early and when it starts.

Remember, this is just for Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S (Xbox X|S), and does not mean it’s Starfield’s full release, just an earlier date to respective owners of the premium edition.

How to get Early Access to Starfield?

The only way to play Starfield early is to purchase the premium edition. That’s about $100 just for a game and the special edition but you get to play early. However, there is a way to make this easier and cheaper to buy this RPG ahead of launch.

Starfield is available on Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass. If you choose to purchase the Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade, you’ll gain early access for five days ahead of the Starfield release date, unlocking the game on August 31 or September 1 depending on your region. This means you’ll have gotten the game at its Premium Edition for just $35.

You can really only do this from the digital edition, but it’s worth having on your console, but you won’t get all the cool stuff from buying the physical version. This is essentially just paying $35 for digital bonus stuff and the ability to play early.

This information and the content below are confirmed by Bethesda Softworks on the official Starfield website.

When does Starfield release in your region? Release times broken by region

The image above is a confirmation from the official Twitter for Starfield.

The Early Access release date is August 31 and September 1 depending on your time zone. So that’s 5pm PT five days ahead of the official release date. Make sure to do your Starfield preload as soon as the preload date hits if you haven’t. Otherwise, you’ll still be downloading during Starfield’s release time.

Special items that come in the Constellation edition of the game like the boost pack, Constellation Skin Pack, Equinox laser rifle, any special helmet or spacesuit, and the Starfield digital artbook & original soundtrack may take time to be delivered. The DLC Shattered Space Story Expansion and traits may take time as well.

Starfield Early Access Start Time US timezone

You can expect early access to begin at the following times in North America:

• Pacific Time Zone (PDT) – 5PM PDT [West Coast US]
• Mountain Time Zone (MDT) – 6PM MDT
• Central Time Zone (CDT) – 7PM CDT [Central US]
• Eastern Time Zone (EDT) – 8PM EDT

Starfield Early Access Start Time UK and Europe

Living in Europe or UK? If so, these are the times you can expect the Starfield early access:

• British Summer Time (BST) – 1AM BST (September 1)
• Central European Summer Time (CEST) – 2AM CEST (September 1)

Starfield Early Access Start Time Asia

Players in Asia will begin maintenance at this time for the Starfield early access:

• Malaysia Time (MYT) – 8:00am on September 1

Starfield Early Access Start Time Japan

Starting at this time, Japanese players can expect Starfield early access: 

• Japan Standard Time (JST) – 9:00am on September 1

Starfield Early Access Start Time Australia and New Zealand

Lastly, those in Australia and New Zealand can expect maintenance at these times for Starfield early access:

• Australian Eastern Time (AEST) – 10:00am on September 1
• New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) – 11:00am on September 1

Starfield Early Access Countdown timer

For those of you who don’t want to go over the applicable time zone differences, this timer will tell you when the reveal early access starts. This is the exact time to start your actual play time, and when it is done, you can go ahead and play the game.

This is not affected by your purchase date, or the edition you bought (constellation edition, premium edition, etc.) everyone with early access can use the above countdown.

It’s okay to be excited, as this is Bethesda’s first new IP in a decade, and the first game that isn’t Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or Skyrim-related in a while. So this is a new addition coming to their trademarks tomorrow that will feature a brand new character creation and aside from possible outages will be delivered on time.

FAQ

How to get early access to Starfield?

In order to obtain early access Starfield there are a few ways: Purchase the premium edition or have access to Xbox Game Pass.

When does Starfield release in your region?

It’s expected that Starfield will release at 5PM PDT / 6PM MDT / 8PM EDT / 1AM BST on August 31st and September 1st.