After what felt like an eternity of watching Xbox and PC players zoom through the cosmos, PlayStation 5 owners finally get their turn on April 7, 2026. But before anyone starts their interstellar adventure, there's a slightly less exciting mission to tackle first: clearing out enough storage space. Spoiler alert—Starfield isn't exactly shy about taking up room on your console. 🚀
How Much Space Does Starfield Actually Need?
According to the ever-reliable PlayStation Game Size account, the base game clocks in at approximately 123.3 GB. That's already a hefty chunk, but wait—there's more. The "Shattered Space" expansion adds another 12.5 GB, and the "Terran Armada" DLC weighs in at 4 GB. Do the math, and players looking to experience the full package are staring down around 140 GB of storage requirements.
For context, that's roughly the size of several AAA titles combined. Time to say goodbye to a few games gathering digital dust, or maybe invest in an external SSD if the PS5's internal drive is already gasping for air.
Two Editions, One Massive Download
Starfield arrives on PS5 in two flavors:
| Edition | Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | €49.99 | Base game only |
| Premium Edition | €69.99 | Base game + "Shattered Space" expansion + "Terran Armada" DLC |
Looking for a better deal? Compare Starfield prices on DealNest to snag a discount.
Whether players opt for the Standard or Premium Edition, the download size remains substantial. The good news? Pre-loading begins on April 5, giving everyone a two-day head start to download the game before the official launch on April 7 at 15:00 UTC. That's plenty of time to let the PlayStation do its thing while grabbing a coffee... or ten. ☕
Why Does Starfield Take Up So Much Space?
Bethesda's latest RPG isn't just big—it's astronomically big. With over 1,000 planets scattered across the game's universe, there's an absurd amount of content to explore. Sure, many of these worlds are procedurally generated, but they're also peppered with handcrafted cities, interiors, side quests, and NPCs who won't stop talking (seriously, the dialogue alone probably accounts for a good chunk of that file size).
What's Eating All That Storage?
-
Massive asset library: Thousands of textures, models, and environmental objects
-
Expansive cities: Multiple large urban areas filled with explorable buildings
-
Hours of dialogue: Voice acting for countless characters and quests
-
Procedural generation data: Systems that create diverse planetary landscapes
-
DLC and expansions: Additional content layers on top of the already enormous base game
All this adds up to hundreds of hours of gameplay. Some critics have pointed out that certain planets feel a bit samey, but hey, even procedurally generated space has its limits. Still, calling Starfield one of the biggest sci-fi RPGs ever isn't exactly an exaggeration. 🌌
Preparing Your PS5 for Liftoff
With less than a week until launch, here's a quick survival guide for managing that storage crunch:
-
Audit your game library: Delete games you haven't touched since 2024 (you know the ones)
-
Move saves to cloud storage: Free up a few extra gigabytes by backing up old save files
-
Consider external storage: A quality external SSD can hold PS4 games and free up internal space for PS5 titles
-
Start pre-loading early: Don't wait until launch day—begin downloading on April 5
The universe is vast, but apparently, so is the download size. Time to make some tough choices about which games stay and which ones get launched into the void. After all, exploring a thousand planets requires sacrifice—even if that sacrifice is just deleting a few old racing games nobody plays anymore. 🎮
Final Thoughts
Starfield's arrival on PlayStation 5 marks a significant moment for console gamers who've been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for their chance to explore Bethesda's space epic. Yes, the storage requirements are massive. Yes, it might mean clearing out half your game library. But for those eager to lose hundreds of hours wandering alien landscapes, building starships, and getting lost in sprawling questlines, it's probably worth it.
Just remember: April 5 for pre-loading, April 7 for launch, and maybe invest in that external drive sooner rather than later. The stars are calling—but only if there's room on the hard drive.
