Starfield free download: multiple giveaways confirmed for fans

We are mere weeks away from the release of Starfield, and if you listen very closely you might just able to hear guides writers around the world sobbing quietly into their pillows.

By all accounts Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG is shaping up to be a ludicrously massive experience. Even if the main story looks to be relatively short, gamers are preparing to lose thousands of hours to Starfield.

Take a look at the story trailer for Starfield below!

While it's already possible to buy and pre-download Starfield so that you're good and ready for that September 1 early access launch, there are doubtless those of you out there who are wondering if you'll be able to afford the game by then. Video games are, after all, terribly expensive these days.

The good news is that there are options for those of you who want to play Starfield on the cheap. The first I'd recommend is getting an Xbox Game Pass subscription. As of right now you can get a month for £1, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £12.99.

Given that Starfield is a day one Game Pass release, you can play it through for at least a month or two before cancelling your subscription - although this means you will have technically rented the game, and don't outright own it.

This is, of course, a solid option for those of you without an Xbox Series X/S or powerful gaming PC, given that Game Pass Ultimate lets you stream games via pretty much any device with a screen. Just make sure your internet connection is solid!

If you do have an Xbox Series X/S and would rather own Starfield forever, there are actually a handful of giveaways on the internet right now to win a free copy of the game. I'd hope it goes without saying these are entirely down to chance, however, so don't go banking on this being your solution. I'm just here to direct you to the goods.

One Starfield free game giveaway is being held by the Lorefield community, so be sure to head here to find out how to get involved with that.

Meanwhile, the Starfield News Twitter account is holding a couple of giveaways that include a copy of the game, the sexy limited edition controller, and that gorgeous headset. You can find out about those here.

There are also various bundles for Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC hardware doing the rounds right now that come with download codes for Starfield included, but after something that's completely free those wouldn't be your best bet. My advice? Do a bit of shopping around online and see what option is best for you. But do remember that there'll be a ton of ways to enjoy Starfield when it launches in September.