Starfield saves are typically located within your Documents folder under ‘My Games\Starfield\Saves’, and you can use the in-game load menu to access previous saved games.
Lost in the vast cosmos of Starfield and need to rewind your progress? The game’s deep narrative and player choices mean you might need to revisit an earlier decision. Many players often ask, “Starfield how to find previous saved games” so they can explore alternative paths. Don’t panic if you feel you need a do-over.
Locating those previous saves is thankfully very simple. Starfield saves your progress automatically and also allows manual saves. These files reside in a specific spot on your computer, making it easy to get back to where you were. This guide will show you exactly where to find them.
Starfield: How to Find Previous Saved Games
Hey space explorers! Ever get that feeling where you wish you could go back and try a different path in Starfield? Maybe you made a choice that didn’t turn out so great, or you want to see what happens if you pick a different dialogue option. Well, the good news is that Starfield keeps track of your game progress by saving it! But, sometimes finding those old save files can feel like searching for a specific star in a vast galaxy. Don’t worry, we are here to help you to navigate the ins and outs of finding your saved games in Starfield. We’ll break it down so it’s easy to understand, no matter how new you are to the game or how big of a star-hopping veteran you may be.
Understanding Starfield Save Game Basics
Before we go searching through folders, let’s talk about how Starfield saves your game. The game uses a mix of automatic and manual saving. This helps to make sure you don’t lose too much progress if something unexpected happens. So, let’s see how this whole thing works.
Auto Saves
Starfield automatically saves your progress at different points while you play. This includes things like when you jump to a new planet, or enter a new area. It keeps several of these saves, so you usually have a few options to go back to if needed. Think of auto saves like a safety net. They are there to catch you if something goes wrong.
Quick Saves
Quick saves are the saviors of many gamers! You can make these by pressing a button (usually quick save is assigned to F5 key on PC). This creates a save right at that moment, in case you want to go back if something bad happened or you just want to try something new. These are great for when you are about to try something risky, or are about to make a big choice. Quick saves are your personalized checkpoints, and it’s highly recommended to use them often when you play Starfield!
Manual Saves
Manual saves are the saves you create by going into the game’s menu and choosing to save the game. These are the saves you name and keep for long periods. You can choose the save’s name so you can easily identify it later on. Manual saves are great for preserving big milestones, like the completion of a big mission, or reaching a certain level in the game.
Now that we understand the types of save files, let’s get into the details about how to find your saved game files.
Where Starfield Stores Your Save Games
The location of your save files depends on the system you are using to play Starfield. Let’s take a look at both PC and Xbox.
Finding Saves on PC (Steam and Game Pass)
If you play Starfield on your computer, the save files are stored in a specific folder on your hard drive. The exact location varies based on if you purchased the game on Steam or through the Xbox Game Pass, here’s how you can find them:
Steam Version
For the Steam version of Starfield, your save files are typically located in a folder that looks something like this:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Saves
Here’s a breakdown:
- C: This is your main hard drive, but it may be different depending on where you installed your operating system.
- Users: This folder holds all the users that use your computer.
- [YourUsername]: This is the name of your user account on the computer. Replace this with your actual user name.
- Documents: This is where most of the documents for different software are stored.
- My Games: A folder where many games store their files.
- Starfield: The folder specifically for your Starfield files.
- Saves: This is where you can find all of your saved games!
Xbox Game Pass PC Version
If you are playing through Xbox Game Pass on your PC, the save file location is a bit different, since the files are more protected. The location is usually in this area, and you need to unhide protected files before you are able to access them
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Packages\BethesdaSoftworks.ProjectGold_3275kfvn8vcwc\SystemAppData\wgs
Here’s a breakdown:
- C: This is your main hard drive.
- Users: This folder holds all the users that use your computer.
- [YourUsername]: This is the name of your user account on the computer. Replace this with your actual user name.
- AppData: This folder is typically hidden. You need to make sure you unhide hidden files in folder options.
- Local: A folder where the local data for applications is stored.
- Packages: A folder where the application data is stored.
- BethesdaSoftworks.ProjectGold_3275kfvn8vcwc: This is the folder name for Starfield. It may look a little different on your computer.
- SystemAppData: This folder holds game specific system data.
- wgs: This folder holds the actual saved files for your game.
Finding the right folder can be a bit of a puzzle sometimes, but we’re confident you can do it!
Finding Saves on Xbox
Finding saves on your Xbox is not as straightforward as on a PC. Xbox consoles store save files in a cloud storage service tied to your Xbox account. This is great, because you can easily keep playing on another Xbox, and your save games will sync up. The good news is that Xbox automatically manages this for you, so you don’t have to deal with any file locations on your console.
However, because the save files are stored on the cloud, you can’t access those save files directly or manually, but you can access them through your console and in game.
How to Access Previous Saves in Starfield
Now that you know where your save files are stored, or at least the general area, let’s dive into how you can actually load those previous save games when you are playing the game. No matter what system you’re playing on, the process for accessing your saves is very similar.
Loading Saves In-Game
To access your saves, you will need to do it from within Starfield, not your file folder. It’s pretty easy, just follow these steps:
- Pause the Game: First, press the start button (or the Esc key on PC) to pause the game and go into the main menu.
- Select “Load”: Find the “Load” option on the main menu. It should be right there at the bottom. Click on it or select it with the D-pad on a console.
- Choose Your Save: You will see a list of your previous saves. The latest ones will appear on the top of this list. You should see things like the save name, the date the game was saved, and how long you played on the game.
- Load the Save: Pick the save you want to go back to and select it. The game will ask you to confirm, and then it will load the selected game save.
It is that easy! You can go back to the last auto-save you have, or any of your quick and manual saves. It is now up to you to explore different possibilities that the game offers.
Managing Save Games
As you play Starfield, you will start to create many save games. The game will keep auto saves, but you need to manage quick and manual saves to keep things tidy.
Deleting Save Games
If you want to delete an old save file, you have a few options:
- In-Game: From the “Load” screen, you will see a delete button that will let you delete any of your existing save files.
- Directly in PC file system: You can delete the save files directly from the file folder (Only for PC version). Just be very careful with which files you are deleting, as you could accidentally remove a save you need.
Naming Save Games
When making manual saves, give the saves names that make sense to you. For example, “Before Neon Mission” or “Just before UC Vanguard”. This helps you quickly find the correct save later, without wasting too much time.
Tips for Better Save Management
To keep your Starfield game experience smooth and organized, here are some tips for managing your save files efficiently:
- Save Often: Make regular quick saves, especially before any big decisions or risky adventures.
- Use Manual Saves for Milestones: Use manual saves to mark important moments in your game. This helps you go back to a certain point quickly.
- Keep Things Tidy: From time to time, go into the save games screen and delete saves that you do not need.
- Be Careful with Auto Saves: Auto saves are useful, but don’t depend on them completely. Quick and manual saves offer more control.
Troubleshooting Common Save Issues
Sometimes, you might run into a few problems with loading or finding your saves. Here are some things you can check if you are having difficulties:
Game Doesn’t Load Your Save
If Starfield can’t load a save, try these steps:
- Restart Starfield: Sometimes, just closing the game and restarting it can solve the problem.
- Restart Your Computer or Console: A full restart can sometimes fix any temporary problems that might have occurred.
- Check Your Hard Drive Space: Make sure you have enough free space on your storage device for the game and save files.
- Update Your Game: Make sure you are using the latest version of Starfield. Sometimes updates fix bugs that can affect loading save games.
Save Files Missing
If your save files seem to be missing, this is what you should do:
- Check the correct folder: Make sure that you are checking the correct folder according to the version you are playing.
- Un-hide Hidden Files: For PC Gamepass version, make sure you unhide hidden files in folder options.
- Check Cloud Sync Status: Make sure that Xbox cloud saves are synced properly if you are playing on Xbox.
Corrupted Save File
If the game gives you error messages and says that a save file is corrupted, then that save is probably gone for good. However, you should load the previous save to keep playing, and you may also want to create a manual save immediately, to avoid losing too much progress.
Finding your previous saved games in Starfield is easy if you know where to look and how the system works. With all this knowledge, you can confidently manage your save files and make the most of your journey through the stars!
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Final Thoughts
Locating your Starfield saves involves navigating the game’s load menu. You can usually find these files within a designated folder within your system’s user documents. These files allow you to revisit prior gameplay states.
The game typically handles save files efficiently. However, sometimes accessing or loading can become a hurdle. ‘Starfield how to find previous saved games’ is straightforward once you understand the file structure. Remembering these basic locations can solve many problems.
