Starfield players on PlayStation 5 and the PS5 Pro are reporting significant crashing issues following its recent launch on Sony’s platform. It’s not the PlayStation debut that Bethesda would have wanted for Starfield, and players have quickly taken to online forums to report the problems they’re having with the game.
After over two years of Xbox console exclusivity, Starfield finally arrived on PlayStation 5 on April 7, 2026. Since its release, player reception to the RPG has been divisive, but as a Bethesda title, its PS5 launch still came with a ton of hype. Bethesda even included some Starfield features exclusive to the PS5 and PS5 Pro, which take advantage of the DualSense Controller’s capabilities. Despite this, players are still running into some serious issues right now, rendering the game almost unplayable.
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Starfield Crashing Issues Rampant on PS5 and PS5 Pro
A Reddit thread started by user ShogunRaw has raised some serious issues with Starfield‘s PlayStation 5 port, describing crashes every two minutes with no fix. They’ve already tried deleting saves, switching performance modes, and redownloading the game entirely, but are still getting the crashes, resulting in an experience they describe as “unplayable.” Many others in the thread reported having the exact same experience, both on the base PlayStation 5 and the PS5 Pro. It’s not just direct crashes to the home screen, either. Some are finding that the constant small freezes are forcing them to close the game entirely and ruining the entire experience.
One of the big problems is that there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on what is causing the freezes. Nothing players have tried has fixed Starfield‘s crashing problems on PS5, and there is no consistency in what gameplay element is actually causing it in the first place. Some have already asked for a refund, having been too disappointed in Bethesda’s open-world RPG. Others were more willing to wait for an update in the future, but were sceptical of the developer delivering in a timely fashion.
Bethesda has not yet responded to the community reports of Starfield‘s PS5 crashes. However, given how many players were claiming refunds for the game, it’s difficult to imagine that the studio isn’t aware of the difficulties players are facing at the moment. While there’s no timeline for a fix, Bethesda’s commitment to releasing new Starfield updates on PC and Xbox Series X/S over the last couple of years is a positive sign that these issues will eventually be addressed.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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As well as the crash-stricken PlayStation 5 port, Starfield recently released its massive Free Lanes update, and its second expansion, Terran Armada. Despite the studio’s focus on Elder Scrolls 6‘s development, Bethesda is far from done with Starfield, and lead creative producer Tim Lamb recently reaffirmed the studio’s intention to make it a timeless classic. It’s certainly an ambitious goal, especially given the game’s mixed player reception. Whether it can do so, remains to be seen.
- Released
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September 6, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ / Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases
