Summary
AStarfieldfan has added the PlayStation Studios animation to the game’s intro in a new mod, giving players a look at what it would be like if Bethesda’s new space-age RPG was developed in-house at Sony. After years of hype and anticipation,Starfieldfinally blasted onto PCand Xbox Series X/S systems earlier this week following an early release for players who ordered one of its premium editions. Reviews have been mainly positive so far, with critics praisingStarfield’s immersive atmosphere and in-depth character and spaceship customization.
Not everyone has been able to dive into the vast universe ofStarfield, as the game is one of Bethesda’s first major releases followingMicrosoft’s buyout of parent company ZeniMaxin 2020. As such,Starfieldwas launched exclusively for Microsoft PCs and Xbox consoles, and the idea of it being exclusive to PlayStation hardware instead was reportedly a deciding factor in Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition.Starfield’s move to the Xbox brand has proven polarizing to gamers and industry insiders, with PlayStation even throwing a dig at Bethesda’s latest title while promotingBalder’s Gate 3.
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Now a modder by the handle of Chachinito is imaging howStarfield’s opening would play out ifXbox head Phil Spencer’s concernsabout it becoming a PlayStation-exclusive title had been realized. The “Starfield Playstation Studio Splash Screen” mod is available to download on Nexus Mods and replaces Bethesda’s logo with the PlayStation Studios animation that precedes in-house Sony titles likeHorizon Forbidden WestandGod of War Ragnarok. The Verge Senior Edition Tom Warren took notice of this interesting mod and shared a clip of it on his Twitter account shortly after it was posted.
This look into what might have been is just the tip of the icebergwhen it comes toStarfieldmods, as the gaming community has already released a multitude of player-made upgrades less than a week into the game’s release. Many of these mods address technical issues that some have had withStarfieldby adding DLSS support and crushing the game’s textures to help it run on older PCs. Others are more comical in nature, bringingSeinfeld’s George Constanza into the far reaches of space and giving players a flashlight that projects Phil Spencer’s face.
Chachinito’s newStarfieldPlayStation Studios animation screen mod seems to be in the latter category, offering up little more than a good-natured laugh at how the game might have started up if Sony had acquired the rights to Bethesda’s first original IP in over 25 years instead of Microsoft.Starfield’s exclusivity to Microsoft-owned systems has become yet another point of contention in the seemingly never-ending “console wars,” but at least some fans can make fun of the situation.
Starfieldis available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
