Starfield has brought out the worst in the PlayStation community
From a desperate petition to modding out the Xbox Games Studio logo, PlayStation fans aren't coping very well with Starfield's launch
Starfield is perhaps the biggest game in Xbox’s recent history. And despite my initial fears that the game was destined to fail due to the sheer weight of expectation placed upon it, the vast majority of gamers are thoroughly enjoying Bethesda’s space-faring RPG.
Starfield has impressed critics, too, which will have come as a huge relief to Microsoft after the disastrous reception Redfall received. The game also seems like a commercial success, as it’s already attracted over six million players – a new record for a Bethesda game and a truly impressive feat considering it’s the studio’s first new IP in 25 years.
I’m only about 12 hours into my own playthrough of Starfield, but I can see why it’s resonated so strongly with players. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Bethesda game but avoids many of the frustrations I had with previous titles such as countless bugs, poor performance, and subpar combat. Even at this early stage, I’m pretty sure I’ll invest a frightening amount of hours into Starfield in the months to come, as it’s exactly the type of polished and next-gen experience I’ve been waiting for on Xbox.
But some people aren’t happy
Not everyone is as enthusiastic about Starfield’s launch, however. Social media has been awash with a frankly embarrassing amount of outraged PlayStation fans who simply want nothing more than to rain on the parade of happy Xbox and PC gamers.
While tribalism in gaming isn’t a new phenomenon and is something that has been commonplace in the industry ever since Sega said “Genesis does what Nintendon’t” – I can’t recall a game being subjected to this much pettiness and vitriol from the opposing side.
The agenda against Starfield started before the game’s launch, with a desperate petition that demanded Bethesda not only bring the game to PS5 but make it a PlayStation exclusive. But. more recently, we’ve seen a few unhinged individuals who demand a PlayStation employee be fired for playing Starfield on their Twitch channel, and to the surprise of no one, Starfield is also being review-bombed on Metacritic.
Perhaps the saddest thing I’ve seen, though, is the fact someone made a mod that removes the Xbox Games Studio splash screen from the PC version and replaces it with Sony’s PlayStation Studios splash screen. If you were ever looking for a definition of what it means to huff a tank of copium, this has to be it.
There’s nothing to be angry about, PlayStation fans
But when you consider just how well PS5 is doing this generation, it makes the outrage of the PlayStation community all the more difficult to understand. PlayStation 5 owners have been utterly spoiled when it comes to games so far, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is just over a month away.
The PS5 is also the only console with VR support thanks to PSVR 2, and it’s absolutely dominating when it comes to global sales. While I don’t agree with some of the business practices Sony has made recently – like the recent PS Plus price hike and the fact you need to buy the PS5 earbuds or Pulse Elite headset if you want wireless audio on the PlayStation Portal – you can’t say the console is bereft of must-play games. Case in point, Baldur’s Gate 3 has just launched on PS5 and is one of the highest-rated games of this generation!
And yet, even though Microsoft has finally secured a top-tier exclusive, some PlayStation fans simply can’t be happy for Xbox fans. It’s like watching someone with a mouthful of Kobe beef shouting abuse at someone for enjoying a McDonald’s burger.
And it’s not even like Starfield isn’t accessible in one way or another to PlayStation gamers, either. If you really want to play Starfield, you have four options: buy an Xbox Series X or the cheaper Xbox Series S, get it on PC, or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and stream it via the cloud. You can even save on an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12-month membership with our discount code.
Surely actually playing Starfield is better than harassing people for enjoying a game that isn’t on PS5? Or if you have no interest at all in Starfield, maybe you could just let people enjoy things? Crazy thought, I know.
Thankfully, there is some reprieve from the relentless PlayStation fanboys. As you jett off to planets unknown in Starfield, remember the classic saying: “In space, no one can hear PlayStation fans scream.”