Starfield has seen “lukewarm” gross sales on PlayStation 5, in keeping with one analyst, who’s now questioning Microsoft’s technique of releasing its video games on PS5 after they’ve already come out on Xbox and PC.
In line with Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, Starfield had bought 140,000 copies on PS5 as of every week after launch. Bethesda has but to announce a gross sales determine for Starfield on PS5, or usually for that matter. The final we heard, in November 2024, Starfield had seen over 15 million gamers throughout all platforms.
“Whereas these could be first rate numbers for a lot of ports, it’s not implausible for a port of the largest Bethesda RPG in a decade (though launch-aligned, it is promoting quicker than different Xbox video games that got here to Xbox up to now six months, minus CoD),” Elliott mentioned.
“Nonetheless, Starfield’s lukewarm PS5 gross sales clearly increase questions in regards to the long-term viability of Xbox’s delayed multiplatform releases (Starfield got here to PS5 2.5 years after Xbox/Steam).”
For context, Playground’s Forza Horizon 5 has bought an estimated 5.7 million copies on PS5, which, according to Alinea Analytics, has generated $320 million in income. Forza Horizon 5 launched on PlayStation in April 2025, three-and-a-half years after Xbox.
In line with Alinea Analytics’ data, Starfield has bought an extra 55,000 copies on Steam on account of the launch of the Free Lanes replace, which went stay alongside the PS5 model. That quantities to $2.3 million of income, reportedly pushing Starfield’s complete Steam income previous the $200 million mark (a determine that features an estimate of three.7 million copies bought on Steam earlier than the DLC drop).
In fact, that doesn’t paint the entire image of Starfield’s industrial efficiency. The Bethesda sci-fi RPG additionally launched on Xbox and, as a Microsoft-owned title, straight into Recreation Cross. Elliott mentioned the Xbox model of Starfield had bought over 1 million copies regardless of Recreation Cross “cannibalizing gross sales.”
Elliott estimates that Starfield has introduced in over $300 million in income throughout all platforms since launch, a determine he mentioned most likely isn’t ok for a high-profile Bethesda recreation. “Within the context of a Bethesda finances and a decade-long growth cycle, Starfield has probably barely damaged even,” he mentioned, including that the lately launched Crimson Desert is on observe to overhaul Starfield’s lifetime copies bought by the tip of 2026. Crimson Desert has bought 5 million copies to date.
“Mockingly, this wouldn’t be true if Starfield had launched day-and-date on PS5 and had not been on Recreation Cross on Xbox and PC,” he added.
Microsoft tends to launch its video games on PS5 concurrently Xbox and PC as of late, however there are exceptions. Playground’s Forza Horizon 6, for instance, launches on Xbox and PC in Could, however on PS5 sooner or later later this yr.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.