Update: according to a new pre-order guide on the official Starfield website, the physical editions for the Xbox will in fact come with a disc. The PC version, however, will come with a download code.

Here’s the passage with the relevant details: “Starfield Standard Edition is included with Xbox Game Pass. Game disc included with physical purchases of Xbox Standard Edition. Game code included with physical purchases on PC Standard edition.”

Original Story: As we barrel toward a digital future there is a worrying trend emerging of physical editions of games being sold without a disc. It seems Bethesda’s upcoming Starfield may be following that trend.

In a since-deleted Tweet, the Bethesda Support Twitter account replied to a fan enquiring as to whether the standard edition of Starfield for Xbox Series X would have a disc, saying that, “there are no physical discs” and that “all physical editions contain a code.”

The Tweet was deleted shortly after being sent out, implying that it was either incorrect or that the information wasn’t supposed to be made public just yet.

It was previously confirmed that the £250 Constellation edition of Starfield contains a download code for the game, despite always featuring a steelbook.

While I wouldn’t be surprised to see physical releases get fazed out more and more over the coming years, I am baffled by companies going to the effort to put out a physical product without a disc. Discs cost very little to press, so if you’re going to ship a plastic box anyway you may as well include the disc too for people who still like to collect physical media.

Recommend reading: Starfield will run at 30fps on console.

It’s as frustrating as physical editions where the disc doesn’t actually have the game on it and merely acts as an unlock code for the game to be downloaded.