Starfield will let you purchase for Xbox and play on PC at no extra cost

Starfield has built a lot of hype heading into its release on Sept. 6 as an action role-playing game from Bethesda set to send players adventuring through space. Whether you get it on the Xbox Series consoles or on your computer, Microsoft and Bethesda are making it a little easier for you to play on both.

According to the addition of new tags to Starfield on the Xbox Store on July 31, the game will allow players who buy it on Xbox to get it for free on PC, and vice versa. Starfield will join games like Forza Horizon 5 as titles you can pick up and play between both Xbox and PC, even sharing the same save file.

This is thanks to the Xbox Play Anywhere system, which allows for specific digital copies of games to carry over their ownership and save files from Xbox consoles to Windows PCs running Windows 10 or later. Players will have to use the same account from both their Xbox and their PC to play the same game, but aside from that, it is truly one game purchase for two different consoles.

A popular fan account on X brought up the change, noticing the new tags that got added at the end of July. The tag still remains in the game’s details on the Xbox Store, confirming that the game is in the Xbox Play Anywhere program, barring any changes before its launch.

Starfield marks a big step towards a goal that Xbox and Microsoft have been aiming to accomplish. The barrier between consoles and PCs is shrinking, with shared games on Xbox and PC as a key highlight. Not only does the Play Anywhere program allow for that, but the Xbox Game Pass shares games between both consoles, albeit with different save files if they aren’t under the Play Anywhere program. Plus, with Starfield as a Play Anywhere game specifically at launch, that just makes players’ lives easier, especially if they want to swap between Xbox and PC to complete the game.

Related: Starfield’s community is so eager, it’s already planning amazing launch day rituals

It’s a small thing, but the fact that a major studio is letting players get two copies of their new release for just one purchase is a nice gesture, especially for the excitement the game has built.