Gamers planning to purchase the physical PlayStation 5 version of Starfield should be aware that it appears to be another Bethesda release requiring a mandatory download, even if the disc is inserted. Unlike “game key only” discs, which typically contain no game data at all, an early copy shared by the X (formerly Twitter) account “Does It Play” reveals that the Blu-ray disc for Starfield does contain a substantial 81GB of data.
However, despite this significant amount of information on the disc, a further download is still needed for the game to function properly. This indicates that the physical disc likely holds an incomplete build or necessitates crucial day-one patches and additional content that must be downloaded digitally. This trend continues to highlight the evolving nature of physical game media, where discs frequently serve more as an initial installer than a complete, standalone game experience.