Bethesda’s sci-fi opus Starfield has entered the UK retail chart at no.1 This is pretty impressive and for a few different reasons.
Firstly, and most obviously, it’s available on Game Pass – which around 40% of Xbox owners reportedly subscribe to. Secondly, the retail version is Xbox Series X only, with the majority of Xbox consoles sold this generation being the digital Series S model. Thirdly, Xbox gamers prefer to buy games digitally – Xbox physical game sales usually track lower than on PS5 and Switch.
Some assumptions can be made here. The biggest one is that the majority of the 60% who aren’t Game Pass subscribers bought a physical copy. It’s also possible that the bulk of the sales were the Constellation Edition, which of course, is a physical release. It stands to reason, too, that Starfield’s launch saw an Xbox Series X sales boost – and many simply grabbed a physical copy alongside a shiny new console.
The planet jumping RPG has already been confirmed a hit by Microsoft, reaching 6 million players. Its Metacritic score currently sits at 85%, with the general consensus being that while it feels a little dated in places it’s still one of Bethesda’s best RPGs in years.
Incidentally, the Starfield Premium Upgrade Edition early access kit is still in the chart too, currently at #37 – a mild surprise, given that the official launch was Wednesday.
A few other new releases made the chart(s) too. NBA 2K24 was the second highest charting new arrival, making #7 in the all formats retail top 40. It also made #3 in the PS5 top ten, and #5 in the Xbox Series X individual format chart.
The Nintendo published Fae Farm – a magical lifestyle sim with co-op play – took #9, and an even more respectable #3 in the Switch chart.
505 Games’ belated retail release of Crime Boss: Rockay City showed up too, debuting at #22 in the all formats, and #6 in the Xbox Series top ten.
Then at #15 in the Switch top twenty, we find Marvelous Europe’s Rune Factory 3 Special. Launching the same week as Fae Farm wasn’t the best idea, perhaps.
The UK’s top ten continues to be a peculiar mix of games new and old. Hogwarts Legacy fell to #2 after retaking no.1 last week. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe held onto #3, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga fell to #4, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate climbed to #5, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fell two places to #6, GTA V remained at #8, and then at #10 it’s Minecraft on Switch.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon had a rough week, meanwhile, tumbling from #5 to #20.