Starfield vs The Outer Worlds 2
Bethesda's procedural galaxy vs. Obsidian's handcrafted satire — one rewards builders, the other rewards talkers.
Updated 11d ago
Free Lanes finally fixed the space travel — you can cruise between planets now — but the procedural planets and the weak main story are untouched.
Obsidian writing is back at full peak — Outer Worlds 2 sharpens what the first game whispered, with companions and corporate satire that finally feel essential.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Starfield | The Outer Worlds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Value Starfield wins on value | ||
| Price now | $34.39 −31% · GreenManGaming | $69.99 Steam |
| All-time low | $34.39 | $34.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.44/hr $34.39 · 24 h main story | $3.78/hr $69.99 · 18 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Jul 2026 | +100% low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 24 h | 18 h |
| Health The Outer Worlds 2 wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 57% 175k reviews | 74% 9k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 63% 396 votes · vs 57% lifetime · improving | 64% 235 votes · vs 74% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 7,294 Jul 2026 · ↓ 8% MoM | 1,268 Jul 2026 · ↑ 20% MoM |
| Launch peak | 2% of Sep 2023 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 330,597 Sep 2023 | 18,187 Nov 2025 · now at 7% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 weeks ago | 3 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | 2 in last 90 days | 2 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Starfield
Long-haul pilots credit the ship builder and the mod scene with carrying exploration well past what the vanilla planets offer.
Reviewers with four-figure hour counts say the handcrafted content thins out fast and repeated points of interest turn planet-scanning into filler.
from our July 2026 verdict
The Outer Worlds 2
The witty satire, memorable characters, and goofy tone keep players engaged for hundreds of hours.
Frequent fatal crashes and unstable saves after patches plague long-term playthroughs.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Starfield if
- You love building ships and modding on PC.
- Bethesda's over-encumbered loot loop is your comfort food.
- You accept procedural repetition for the freedom to explore.
Pick The Outer Worlds 2 if
- Fallout New Vegas is your favorite RPG — Obsidian is back.
- Companion banter and reactive quests are your main draw.
- You prefer tight zone-based maps over seamless space.
Bottom line
Choose Starfield if you want to build ships and mod the galaxy; pick The Outer Worlds 2 if sharp writing and companions matter more than scale.