Starfield Xbox Players Are Using Cross-Platform Saves to Gain Access to PC Console Commands

One of the best things about playing Starfield on PC is the access to console commands.

In Starfield, cheat codes are enabled via console commands, but they only work on the PC version of the game. These cheat codes let you do everything from spawning any item in the game to toggle god mode. Check out IGN’s Starfield console commands guide for a comprehensive rundown of how the cheats work.

Xbox Series X and S owners, however, do not have access to console commands. But players have discovered a workaround that, while limited, does let console players get in on some of the cheating action.

If you own Starfield on Xbox or Xbox Game Pass, you can download it on any PC for free via the Xbox App. Even if your PC is a potato (Starfield and potatoes is an actual thing), just run the game using the same Microsoft account so that your save files from Xbox are transferred across. Then get stuck in to the console commands.

Thanks to Microsoft’s cross-platform save system, the next time you run Starfield on Xbox, your modified save file from PC, along with its enabled cheats, carries over.

Players are using this trick to, for example, get around Starfield’s frustrating weight limit. You can also use commands like add more digipicks, medipacks, and credits on Xbox with this method.

As redditor dimmanxak pointed out, if you use console commands on PC Starfield automatically turns off achievement progress. Thankfully, there’s already a mod on PC that prevents this.

There’s a lot going on in the world of Starfield. Its full launch saw over 1 million concurrent players. Players are using Starfield’s ship creator to recreate famous vessels from the likes of Star Wars, Serenity, and Star Trek, and many hidden references to other games like Skyrim have already been discovered. Savvy speedrunners have even figured out how to complete it in under three hours.

However, if you’re still just getting started, here are all the things to do first in Starfield.

IGN’s review explains the pull to seek out Starfield’s “immense amount of quality roleplaying quests and interesting NPCs” is strong, despite a rough start and some core aggravations.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Starfield Exceeds One Million Concurrent Players

Bethesda’s Starfield exceeded one million concurrent players across all platforms today, according to CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer.

“Thanks to all the players who helped us reach this great milestone and congrats to [Bethesda Studios],” the Xbox boss added alongside the news.

Bethesda’s sprawling space epic, which topped sales charts even before its official launch on September 6, has enjoyed a positive start to its life after launch.

Players have been using Starfield’s ship creator to recreate famous vessels from the likes of Star Wars, Serenity, and Star Trek, and many hidden references to other games like Skyrim have already been discovered. Savvy speedrunners have even figured out how to complete it in under three hours.

However, if you’re still just getting started, here are all the things to do first in Starfield.

IGN’s review explains the pull to seek out Starfield’s “immense amount of quality roleplaying quests and interesting NPCs” is strong, despite a rough start and some core aggravations.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can chat to him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly.

Do You Want a Mid-Gen Xbox Series X Upgrade? – Unlocked 611

After a quick update on how our Starfield adventures are going, we discuss Phil Spencer and the Xbox leadership team’s big decision to bend the Series X/S parity rules to get Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, Destin’s big interview with Phil Spencer — including whether or not Microsoft will produce a mid-gen refresh for the Series X — the sad closure of Volition, and more!

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out my June 2023 interview with Todd Howard, who discussed the realization of his vision for Starfield after eight years, how Red Dead Redemption 2 was something of an inspiration, what his future holds, and more!

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Skull and Bones Has Lost Its Third Creative Director

Skull and Bones is suffering yet another breach in the hull, as Ubisoft’s long-delayed pirate game has lost another creative director.

According to a report from Kotaku, creative director Elisabeth Pellen left Ubisoft Singapore to return to Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters earlier this summer. Pellen had been working on Skull and Bones since 2018. This marks the third time Skull and Bones has lost a creative director. Kotaku’s report also says Ubisoft Singapore is facing an organized labor campaign from Singapore’s Creative Media and Publishing Union.

“Five years ago, Elisabeth Pellen went to Ubisoft Singapore with a mission to reboot the creative direction of Skull and Bones,” an Ubisoft spokesperson told Kotaku. “She succeeded, and the Skull and Bones team is now fulfilling her vision to deliver a unique naval action RPG experience to our players.”

But when Ubisoft will actually deliver Skull and Bones remains to be seen. At the beginning of 2023, Skull and Bones was delayed for the sixth time. Back then, Ubisoft slated Skull and Bones for sometime in its 2023-24 fiscal year, which we’re in the middle of right now. It seemed like we were finally approaching more concrete news on the game, but that changed when all Ubisoft brought to its Ubisoft Summer Forward presentation was an admittedly catchy musical performance and some closed beta dates.

And, amidst the wait for Skull and Bones, reports have surfaced claiming Ubisoft is working on an Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag remake — which is the very game with the pirate ship combat that kicked off Skull and Bones to begin with. Time really is a flat circle.

We went hands-on with Skull and Bones in August, and had positive impressions of the long-awaited pirate game. “After a good chunk of time climbing the ranks of notoriety in Skull & Bones’ beta, I’m more excited to dive into the full experience than I was even way back when it was announced at E3 all those years ago,” we wrote in our Skull and Bones gameplay impressions.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over seven years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Larian Studios Responds to Questions About Baldur’s Gate 3 Crossplay on PS5 and PC

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out on PlayStation 5 today, finally giving console owners a chance to see what the fuss is all about with Larian Studios’ critically-acclaimed RPG. Many are eager to play with their friends on PC, but Baldur’s Gate 3 does not currently support crossplay… at least not right now.

In a new interview with Eurogamer, Larian Studio’s confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 crossplay is “on the roadmap” for a future release. Larian has been working diligently to fix various bugs and performance problems since its release last month, which has kept the studio very busy.

“It was always in the planning,” director of publishing Michael Douse says, “but we knew it wouldn’t be for launch. It’s in the roadmap, and though we have an idea of when we’d like to get it ready for, we don’t want to put a date on it until we’re sure.”

When crossplay does arrive, it’ll enable Baldur’s Gate 3 fans to experience its excellent co-op play alongside their friends. Baldur’s Gate 3 currently allows multiplayers to create characters and play together via split-screen and online multiplayer. Split-screen multiplayer in particular has been challenging for Larian, with the studio ultimately having to drop support for the mode on Xbox Series S in order to launch on the platform in 2023.

It was always in the planning, but we knew it wouldn’t be for launch

We praised Baldur’s Gate 3 in our original review, calling it a “landmark moment in the genre.”

“I waited 14 years for the stars to align again so that we could get the ideal mix of crunchy, tactical, old-school RPG combat, an epic and well-written story with complex characters and lots of meaningful choices, and a level of polish and cinematic presentation that let me see the sweat and the sorrow on characters’ faces in their darkest hours,” we wrote.

PlayStation 5 owners just now getting into Larian’s RPG can check out our full Baldur’s Gate 3 walkthrough among other resources. As for

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Todd Howard Teases Potential Reveal and Details for Bethesda’s Indiana Jones Game

We knew that Wolfenstein developer MachineGames is working on an Indiana Jones video game. But news since its announcement has been minimal. But according to Todd Howard, we might get more information on this mystery game next year.

In an interview with Esquire, Howard did not share much in regards to the upcoming game but teased that he could have more to share down the road. “Howard would talk more about Indiana Jones—I can tell he really wants to—but he’s not allowed,” the article reads. “Instead, as I exit his office, he flashes that smile. ‘We’ll talk next year.'”

The interview also explains how Howard pitched Lucasfilm back in 2009 to make an Indiana Jones game, stating it was on Howard’s “bucket list” to make such a game. Explaining that it “didn’t work out back then, but in the years since,” Disney was interested in the pitch.

Bethesda Softworks announced back in 2021 that it was collaborating with Lucasfilm Games to publish a new game based on the Indiana Jones IP, with MachineGames handling development. Though following its January 2021 announcement, details are slim. We do know that due to the Xbox vs. FTC trial that occurred over the summer, Indiana Jones was originally planned to be released on PS5 until MachineGames and Bethesda Softworks’ parent company, ZeniMax Media, was acquired by Microsoft.

Outside of being an Xbox console exclusive, we know that Todd Howard will serve as the game’s executive producer. In a previous interview, Howard noted that the upcoming Indiana Jones game would be a “mash-up” of different genres.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Starfield Players Have Found a Cheeky Way to Get a Killer Spacesuit Super Early

Starfield players have found a cheeky, sneaky method of getting a killer spacesuit very early on in the game.

As discovered by Patrick Maka on X, a slightly open window lets players access the elite Mark I Spacesuit, helmet, and boost pack just two to three hours into Starfield’s several dozen hour adventure.

Players only have to complete the first main quest and obtain the Lodge Key to access the suit, which sits in the basement of Constellation’s headquarters. A few twists and turns are needed to get there, but players will encounter a glass case that houses a mannequin wearing the advanced set.

While unlocking the case requires the ability to break through master locks, meaning three points in the Security skill, players can sneak a look through a small gap in the glass to interact with the mannequin and take the suit. Those looking to do so can find step by step instructions in IGN’s Starfield guide, or watch the video below:

Bethesda’s long-awaited space epic topped sales charts even before its official launch on September 6, and fans have otherwise thrashed the early access period by completing it in under three hours.

Players are also using Starfield’s ship creator to make famous crafts from the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek, discovering Easter eggs to other games like Skyrim, and creating their own mods to supplement features missing in the base game.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said: “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Starfield Player Digitally Creates 6,000 Piece LEGO Map of New Atlantis City

A dedicated Starfield player has built a digital LEGO model of New Atlantis from 6,000 individual pieces, with some social media users joking that they might use the reconstruction to help navigate the city in the absence of an actual mini-map.

“I just couldn’t help myself and instead of playing Starfield, I immediately ended up rebricking New Atlantis Roughly 50 hours and 6k pieces later, this is the result,” reads a post from Taris120_Builds, displaying his creation.

The miniature architect used the digital LEGO-building program Bricklink Studio to capture the distinctive sloping design of the MAST building, while also getting the locations of key buildings such as the Pioneer and Orion Towers, and even the New Atlantis transit system correct.

Despite the grand scale of the subject, Taris120_Builds was also able to zero in on the inclusion of specific details, such as the location of greenery, the elevation of the star port, and the number of landing pads. Sadly, it looks like the Constellation Lodge sits just beyond the boundaries of the LEGO reconstruction.

The lack of an exploration minimap has been a bone of contention among some Starfield players who have grown accustomed to the quality of life feature. Naturally, the appearance of the digital block map represented a perfect opportunity for Redditors to poke fun at what they viewed as Bethesda’s glaring design omission.

“The long awaited New Atlantis map. Now I finally get how it works.” said Chemicalroyal5909 in the comments of a Reddit post featuring the reconstruction. “Better than any map THEY gave us…,” wrote Bored_guy_in_DC, while jscne21 added their voice to the chorus of discontent, saying “finally a decent map”.

Others were quick to show their appreciation for the build, with user Lizard1995 saying: “You deserve class 1 citizenship rank for this.” ShikariV, meanwhile, said: “Amazing, I would empty my wallet if this was a real set.”

Prior to the space RPG’s launch, Todd Howard revealed New Atlantis was the largest city Bethesda had ever created. “This is the most complete view of New Atlantis I’ve ever seen, I didn’t realise the spaceport was at a different level than the rest of the city,” said Reddit user fitty50two2. “This puts it all in perspective.”

Be sure to check out IGN’s interactive maps of New Atlantis, Akila City, Neon, and others to get the most out of your time with Starfield.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Todd Howard on Benefit of Starfield Xbox Exclusivity: ‘When You Think of Zelda You Think of Switch’

Bethesda development chief Todd Howard has discussed the benefits of Starfield being Xbox exclusive, namechecking the brand association Nintendo enjoys with its first party games.

Speaking to the BBC, Howard stressed that working to one console lets the development team “focus”, which in turns “yields a better product”.

“When you’re making something exclusive then the more you can focus,” Howard said. “You know this is the hardware or the thing people are playing on, so the ability to focus on that always yields a better product.

“You do want people to be able to access it of course. But being with Xbox means there is an ease of access for us and I’m told we’re expecting more people playing this launch than anything we’ve ever done before and that’s despite the success of our previous games.”

Starfield, which launches proper today, September 6, as a day-one Game Pass game as well as a premium release on PC and Xbox Series X and S, is seen as a key first-party release for Microsoft after a string of high-profile failures.

Howard’s comments echo those of Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines, who said in June during the trial between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the future of the Activision Blizzard buyout, that developing for fewer platforms has streamlined the process in some cases.

Hines said developers can hold more rounds of quality assurance testing when a game is on fewer platforms, which he called less of a risk than developing for many platforms. Hines insisted Starfield wouldn’t hit its September release date if it were a multiplatform title.

Indeed, exclusivity was a big topic at the trial, during which we also learned that MachineGames’ upcoming Indiana Jones game is also set to be exclusive to Xbox and PC. Arkane’s Harvey Smith has also said the studio canceled the PlayStation 5 version of Redfall following the Xbox acquisition and the exclusivity of The Elder Scrolls 6 is apparently up in the air.

Perhaps more interesting is Howard’s comments about the effect on brands from exclusives. “I do also think people attach brands to certain games. When you think of Zelda you think of the Switch and I think there are times when that can be a real benefit.”

Microsoft will be hoping the launch of Starfield boosts Xbox Series X and S, which has significantly lagged behind console rivals PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. During the aforementioned trial, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was forced to admit Microsoft had lost the console war, and sales data shows Xbox Series X and S have struggled to shift units this year.

If you’re after more cool stuff on Starfield, check out the player who stuffed 20,000 potatoes into a cockpit, opened the door, and revealed the game’s “mind-blowing” physics. If you’re playing, check out IGN’s interactive Starfield map.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

STALKER 2 Devs Discuss ‘Imperfect’ gamescom 2023 Demo, Address ‘Downgrade’ Debate

The developers of STALKER 2 have discussed the game’s first hands-on at gamescom 2023 and addressed a “downgrade” debate sparked by a new gameplay trailer.

GSC Game World told IGN it is still targeting a visual quality and level of polish suggested by STALKER 2’s eye-catching 2021 trailer (below). This comes despite the horrendous conditions suffered by the staff at the Ukrainian developer amid the war with Russia, which halted development, displaced staff, and caused a number of delays.

STALKER 2 was at the Microsoft gamescom 2023 booth in hands-on fashion, letting the public and press play the post-apocalyptic first-person shooter for the first time. STALKER 2’s gamescom 2023 gameplay trailer (below) includes footage taken from the build used at the show.

It’s fair to say the build on show was rough. As IGN’s STALKER 2 hands-on preview revealed: “Despite its Unreal Engine 5 base and prominent Microsoft support, the 15-minute gamescom demo suggests that STALKER 2 still sits in the ‘eurojank’ category; the colloquial term for eastern European games that are overly ambitious and technically wobbly.

“This sequel’s animations are stiff, its human faces look like haunted waxworks, the AI struggles to stay smart, and inventory management is fiddly. But in exchange for that you get a Soviet bloc world that feels authentic and layered with opportunity. This demo may have been short, but its small areas featured numerous angles for stealth or action approaches, fun flanking routes, and a variety of side objectives.”

The reaction to the latest STALKER 2 trailer sparked the dreaded “downgrade” claim from some. But what’s actually going on here? Maksym Yanchyi, lead Xbox programmer on Stalker 2, and GSC Game World’s public relations manager, Zakhar Bocharov, explained studio’s approach.

“We decided to take not a marketing approach, like showing something really polished and beautiful in a safe way, but rather a player approach, so you can play it even though it’s imperfect,” Bocharov said.

“Of course there are certain risks implemented because the polishing goes all the way through. But that’s how we decided to approach that, to give players a chance to play the game.”

Bocharov said GSC Game World had seen the “downgrade” reaction from some people following the release of the latest STALKER 2 trailer, but moved to reassure fans there’s more work to be done on the game to improve things.

“When you are constantly releasing marketing materials, trailers, etc, it’s like some people always say that it’s downgraded. You can always see someone unhappy with what they see. I guess that downgrade thing is a result of the game being work in progress first of all. And it can be changed. In certain aspects the demo we showed, it looks more beautiful than the trailer we released.

“The build obviously was a priority for people to play here [gamescom]. Also we wanted them to have a glimpse of what’s in the demo because we’re not sharing it publicly. So it’s like a showreel for the demo, the trailer itself.”

Despite all the ups and downs, our goal in terms of the overall level of graphics on the release is the gameplay video we released in 2021.

Bocharov brought up Epic’s Unreal Engine 5, which GSC Game World is using to build STALKER 2. He highlighted its lighting system, which “generates a huge amount of the overall impression from the picture itself, because the same graphics with different lighting can look extremely different”.

GSC Game World, Bocharov explained, is still figuring out all the technologies Unreal Engine 5 makes available, for example its Lumen Global Illumination tech. “It needs to be adjusted,” Bocharov said. “The engine got constantly updated. Then there are certain aspects which can look slightly worse than they were in terms of lighting. I guess a lot of people are referring to that dog scene — certain things can look like they’re downgraded in the moment, probably they are because it’s work in progress. We are getting there.

“Certain things, they look exactly like they looked back when we showcased the gameplay demo. So I guess what we are aiming for, despite all the ups and downs, our goal in terms of the overall level of graphics on the release is the gameplay video we released in 2021.

“That’s our target visuals, and we are getting there, we are seeing that we’re getting there, but there can be certain humps on the way.”

STALKER 2 is due out early 2024 on PC and Xbox Series X and S.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.