Continuing in the tone of recent years, another big Xbox exclusive has made its way to Sony systems, and this time, it’s Starfield.
Originally released three years ago-ish, Starfield is Bethesda’s first original IP in what feels like forever, but it doesn’t sway too much from the formula of other Bethesda open-world RPG titles.
The best bit of news for PlayStation players is that this is the most polished version of Starfield. It is smoother and is possibly the best the game has been in years.
There are still faults to be had. Some planets feel lifeless, loading transitions still occur too often, and the overall structure can still feel a little too menu-heavy for a game about exploring space.
Gameplay
This is possibly the best part of the game. Combat feels far better than older Bethesda titles. Shooting has real weight, movement is more responsive, and the variety of weapons is pretty impressive, meaning firefights rarely become dull. Add in zero-gravity battles and jetpack mobility, and there are moments where the game feels fresh, even after many hours of play.
Ship-building is another major positive. You can honestly spend hours and hours tweaking designs, improving weapons and creating something that feels unique to you.
Exploration, however, is a mixed bag.
When the developers have handcrafted areas like cities, quest hubs, faction missions, it’s excellent. Wandering through neon-lit settlements or stumbling into morally grey side quests gives the game personality.
But the procedurally generated planets can feel repetitive. Too often you’ll land somewhere new, only to find similar layouts, sparse activity and little reason to stick around.
There are also some unique features that are exclusive to Sony hardware. DualSense controller support is excellent, first of all. Weapons have subtle trigger resistance, mining tools rumble nicely and ship take-offs make good use of the haptic feedback. This all adds immersion without feeling too gimmicky.
Story and Side Content
The main story in Starfield is solid, though not quite the space epic that it clearly wanted to be. It presents an intriguing mystery with some strong themes surrounding discovery, purpose and humanity’s place in this universe and beyond. There are memorable moments throughout, particularly towards the end of the game, so it is worth sticking with the more drab moments.
The pacing of the story can be uneven, and the emotional impact it is clearly going for does not always land as strongly as intended. While the central quest can be good, it lacks the urgency it goes for or does not have the character depth that some other sci-fi RPGs go for.
Where the game does improve is in the side content. Much like with other Bethesda titles, the optional quests and faction storylines often outshine the main campaign. Joining these organisations across the settled systems opens up some of the game’s most enjoyable and best-written missions, whether that means espionage, military operations, bounty hunting or navigating political tensions. These questlines feel more focused and fine-tuned, with stronger characters and more interesting choices.
Free Lanes Update
I think the update that came out at the same time as the PS5 release, Free Lanes, deserves its own section.
The update is arguably the most important change Starfield has received since launch because it addresses one of the game’s biggest criticisms: how disconnected space travel could feel. Previously, moving between planets often relied heavily on menus, map selections and fast-travel jumps, which made exploration feel functional rather than making you feel like you were actually going on an adventure. Free Lanes changes that by introducing seamless in-system cruise travel, allowing players to manually fly between planets, moons and orbital points of interest within the same system.
It may sound simple, but the effect this update has on immersion is substantial. Travelling now feels like an actual journey rather than a series of loading screens. Random encounters occur more naturally, pirate ambushes feel less scripted, and arriving at destinations feels more rewarding.
The update also adds new progression systems, fresh points of interest, expanded gear tiers, quality-of-life improvements and additional reasons to keep exploring. Combined, these additions make the settled systems feel more dynamic and rewarding.
Most importantly, the update helps with the pacing of the game. It creates a better link between planetary exploration and space travel, making the galaxies feel more cohesive.
Graphics and Audio
When Starfield looks good, it really does glisten. Some expanses are truly stunning, especially when you’re standing on a moon watching a distant planet just hang in the sky. Lighting is strong, with interiors being quite well detailed, and the art direction does give me The Outer Worlds/Mass Effect vibes.
However, character animations can still look really stiff, with facial expressions feeling dated, and NPC interactions are sometimes ruined by these iffy quirks.
The use of the PlayStation’s 3D audio is pretty decent as busy spaceports feel alive, ship engines roar overhead and firefights carry more positional awareness through headphones.
The frame rate in performance mode does hold up well, but I think in my play time, there were quite a few crashes to the PS5 dashboard, including in the second mission of the game. Apparently, it is a much better experience than Xbox users had back in the day, so every cloud, as they say.
There are still occasional bugs, awkward NPC pathing and the odd visual hiccup, including pop-in texture or enemies just rag-dolling when killed.
Conclusion
Starfield on PS5 is not just a port of a three-year-old product. It is the arrival of a much more polished product.
The core criticisms from 2023 have not vanished entirely. Some planets still feel too empty, the main story is merely good rather than great, and Bethesda’s aging technical quirks remain visible.
Yet, with the excellent Free Lanes overhaul, years of improvements and strong PS5 enhancements, this is finally the version that best delivers on the original promise.
For fans of Bethesda titles, it is easy to recommend Starfield. For those who wanted a seamless, hardcore sci-fi space sim, frustrations remain. I would say either the original The Outer Worlds or No Man’s Sky would better suit those wanting a more sci-fi space game. If you want something with humour, try the original High on Life and High on Life 2.
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date: 7th April 2026 (PS5), 6th September 2023 (Xbox)
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Starfield PS5 was provided by the publisher.
