Starfield is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious space exploration sci-fi RPGs in gaming history, and what we saw of it during the hour-long Starfield Direct and Xbox Games Showcase 2023 on June 11 absolutely blew our minds. However, that doesn't mean you'll have to buy a NASA supercomputer to play it when it releases later this year. In fact, now that the game's required specs have been revealed on its Steam Store page, we know that the hardware you'll need to jump into Bethesda's new universe is actually pretty reasonable.
With that in mind, we've put together a list of parts you can use to create a fantastic Starfield-ready gaming PC for under $1,000. Note that we've made sure there won't be any compatibility issues with this build, and since we chose these components using the Starfield PC system requirements as a base, you can rest assured that this rig meets them.
Best gaming PC build for Starfield under $1000
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With the following hardware, you can look forward to a great experience with Starfield. We designed this build with the official recommended specs in mind, with a target of 1080p/1440p, High settings, and at least 60 FPS. You may be able to raise the game's settings even higher and maintain good performance, though we won't know more until Bethesda shares recommended specs for an Ultra experience.
Starfield has a few unusual minimum requirements that we've ensured this setup meets, including the use of an SSD and a whopping 16GB of RAM (apparently, space is big. Who knew?). You could opt for more memory if you'd like, but that would push the cost of the build past $1,000. Since Bethesda is officially recommending 16GB, you'll be just fine with that amount.
At the time of writing, the total cost of the build is $990 — $10 beneath our $1,000 budget. This doesn't take the $139 cost of a Windows 11 license into account, but if you already have a Windows computer, you can transfer your Windows license to your new PC. And if you don't? Well...let's just say that there are other ways to get your hands on a Windows key online.
Of course, you'll need peripherals and accessories as well. Thankfully, many of the best gaming monitors aren't super expensive, and you can usually find the best gaming mice and keyboards for a good price, too. If you'd prefer to drown out the outside world while getting lost in Starfield's gargantuan galaxy, you'll also want to consider picking up one of the best PC gaming headsets.
Starfield looks like it's going to be one of the best PC games of all time, offering RPG fans an experience that they'll be playing for years to come. Starfield preorders are live and available for Xbox and PC, as are Starfield-themed Xbox controllers and headsets.
