Starfield is one of the biggest game releases of the year and has proved its mettle with several records while it was just available in early access. Bethesda’s Space RPG is one of the main lineups of Xbox Game Pass this year and is the first title after Microsoft acquired Bethesda. The company canceled the best Game Pass deal just before its release on the subscription service, proving how much the company was confident in the game’s potential.
The game has been released exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC and it looks like players who are playing the game on PC with Xbox or PC Game Pass need to forfeit a big part of the game’s modding abilities in comparison to buying it on Steam. This came to light when the game was released on Game Pass after its early access.
Starfield Has a Major Disadvantage if Playing via PC or Xbox Game Pass
Players who are playing Starfield via PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate are not able to use various mods in the game which was one of the biggest marketing points for the game. The problem is the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of Starfield that is distributed through the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass is not compatible with the Starfield Script Extender (SFSE) that is important for modding in the game.
This issue was confirmed by the creator of Starfield Script Extender (SFSE), Ian Patterson who has also authored very influential script extenders for games like Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, and others in the past. Even though SFSE is in its early stages, several of the mods in Starfield are using it for various reasons. So players who are into modding and are playing the game on PC are bound to be tormented with issues if they do not buy the game on Steam.
Why Doesn’t SFSE Work with the Xbox or PC Game Pass version of Starfield?
The primary behind SFSE not working on the Xbox or PC Game Pass version of Starfield is that the UWP executable files are different from what are on Steam. Also, it is not easy to develop third-party software to bring libraries into UWP processes, and this is done by design for security reasons. It is not known if SFSE will ever support Starfield bought via PC Game Pass and even if it does, it doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon.
It is also acknowledgeable that Starfield has many more features for players other than just modding but it is hard to swallow that such a big game release could still lack on this front. The players looking to mod anything more complex than asset packs and quests, factions, or gameplay mechanics will need to purchase the game via Steam or be ready to face disappointment.
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Source: Gamerant
