It's 2025, and the conversation around Bethesda's space epic, Starfield, has reignited with a familiar yet frustrating spark. As a dedicated player who's logged more hours among the stars than I'd care to admit, I'm seeing the same old debates flare up with the news of a new beta update and the ever-persistent rumors of a PlayStation 5 port. Look, I'm all for more people getting to play this game—I never loved the idea of it being locked to Xbox and PC in the first place—but I'm just so tired of the same cycle of hype, backlash, and re-litigation. The game deserves a fresh look, not a rehash of 2023's hottest gaming takes.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the PS5 version. It feels inevitable, doesn't it? 🎮 Two years after its initial launch, and with Microsoft's first-party exclusivity strategy looking more like a suggestion than a rule, it's practically a foregone conclusion. Bethesda's own parent company, ZeniMax, has already brought other titles to PlayStation this year. The recent beta update patch notes even hinted at "exciting things" coming in the next few months, which sent the fanbase into its usual two-pronged speculation frenzy:

1. The Long-Awaited PS5 Port: This isn't just wishful thinking anymore. It's a logical business move.

2. A Second Story Expansion: Following last year's Shattered Space, rumors are swirling about a DLC potentially named Starborn. The smart money is on both releasing together to give PlayStation players the "complete" experience day one.

Honestly, seeing that PlayStation logo pop up by mistake on the Starfield Creations page recently was the least surprising "leak" of the year. It's happening, folks. The real question is when.

This is where my worry kicks in. I remember the overwhelming anticipation before Starfield's release. Bethesda's first new universe in decades! A passion project! Then it came out, and... well, you know what happened. It became the internet's favorite punching bag. 😮‍💨 Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Let's list the common, and often valid, complaints:

• Technical hiccups at launch (though much improved now!).

• Too many hidden loading screens breaking immersion.

• A thousand planets that felt more like a thousand similar-looking templates.

• Ship flight that was more menu-based than hands-on piloting.

• Quest design that sometimes felt like a fast-travel simulator.

It was labeled a "disaster," a sign Bethesda's formula was dead. It wasn't the "Skyrim in space" many dreamed of. And I get the disappointment! But here's my take, two years later: Starfield is a good game. Not incredible, but solidly good. It's a classic Bethesda RPG that maybe aimed too high, creating a canvas too vast to fill masterfully. The ambition was its own worst enemy.

The discourse around Shattered Space was another story. With a smaller scope, it had the chance to truly shine, and for many, it didn't quite hit the mark. That's a separate conversation. But the core game? It's perfectly serviceable. It's fun! You can easily lose hundreds of hours in its factions, ship-building, and core storylines about the Starborn. It was Bethesda's most successful launch ever, for goodness' sake! That doesn't happen with a "disaster."

So, as we potentially stand on the brink of a PS5 release, here's what I hope for:

For New Players: I hope you get to experience it without the baggage. Judge it for what it is in 2025—a massive, sometimes-flawed, often-charming sci-fi RPG with incredible moments buried among the mundane planets. The technical state will be better, the updates will be integrated. You might just love it.

For the Conversation: Can we please move on? 🤞 I want to talk about how the DualSense controller might make spaceflight feel more tactile. I want to discuss how the game performs on the new hardware. I do not want to relive the same exhausting arguments about procedural generation for the thousandth time.

Exclusives are anti-consumer, plain and simple. More people playing is always a win. If a PS5 port brings a second wind to Starfield and leads to more support and maybe that rumored Starborn expansion, that's fantastic. My fear is that it just reignites the same old, tired fire. Starfield has been living under the shadow of its own pre-launch hype for two years. It's time it stepped out. It's a fine game. And in 2025, that should be enough.

Maybe, just maybe, it can finally land on PlayStation without the discourse.