Starfield is just over a week away from launch for early access. Players who have purchased the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade can enjoy the game from September 1. We know already that it will be on Xbox and PC, will Steam Deck owners be able to play Starfield too?
The popular handheld is a great way to play your Steam games on the go, some titles do not have full Steam Deck compatibility at launch though. Could Starfield be available on the same date as other platforms?
Starfield PC Specs
Starfield has been confirmed on PC and Xbox already, and there are ways to play the game without a console or gaming setup. Fans hoping to play the space epic could end up seeking these alternative means to experience the adventure.
We already know the minimum specs for Starfield to run on PC, they are as follows:
Minimum System Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10 version 22H2 (10.0.19045)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti
- Direct X: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 125 GB Available Space
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
Recommended Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10/11 with updates
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
- Direct X: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 125 GB Available Space
- Additional Notes: SSD Required
The minimum specs are quite above what the Steam Deck is capable of, does this mean the end for Starfield on the platform?
Starfield on Steam Deck
At the time of writing, no confirmation has been made by Todd Howard on Starfield's Steam Deck compatibility. That said, the team at Bethesda would be crazy to ignore the popular platform. Although, the game won't be seen on some gaming systems at all.
If Starfield isn't optimised to run on Steam deck for launch, we would wager that plans to have the game running on the system are in the works. Bethesda is no stranger to the handheld market and optimising its games to be played in as many ways as possible.
Skyrim, arguably their most popular title to date, has a running joke that it will be on every system available till the end of time. The Nintendo Switch, which is a handheld less powerful than the Steam Deck, received its very own edition of the epic fantasy RPG. Playing some of Starfield's quests on the go would be absolutely fantastic, so we wouldn't mind seeing the game pop up in other places at all.
So, even if we may need to wait a little longer, we would say it is a safe bet that Starfield will show up on the Steam Deck, eventually. However, if you must play Starfield on Steam Deck at launch, you could run it from Xbox Cloud Gaming via the Game Pass version.
Starfield will be with us before we know it, so why not brush up on some things while you are here? Check out all the creatures from the game, or even figure out which weapons you will take with you on your galactic adventures.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!