Recent online discussions revolved around the substantial file size of Starfield on PlayStation servers. Now, the community’s worst fears have been confirmed: the complete game simply did not fit onto the physical disc.
Gamers are increasingly vocal about physical disc editions no longer offering a complete, out-of-the-box experience. Starfield for PS5 now serves as a prime example of this growing trend. According to community findings, although the physical disc contains approximately 81 GB of data, this amount is insufficient to launch the game. Given that the full PS5 version is around 123 GB, the remaining portion—roughly 42 GB—must be downloaded from the PlayStation Network. Any attempt to start the game offline results in a prompt demanding an internet connection to download the necessary update.
This situation differs from typical “download code in a box” scenarios, as a substantial part of the game’s data is indeed present on the Blu-ray disc. However, without an internet connection, the physical media remains effectively useless. The publisher could have potentially resolved this by releasing the game across two discs, but likely deemed it too costly, passing the burden onto the end-users. Consequently, the disc version of Starfield, without online connectivity, amounts to little more than a decorative piece of plastic.