Highlights
- Scalpers are taking advantage of the high demand for the limited-edition Constellation Edition of Starfield by selling it at inflated prices.
- Many retailers sold out of their pre-orders for the Constellation Edition quickly, and scalpers are now selling it on eBay for high prices.
- The Constellation Edition bundle includes a digital timepiece with limited features and a digital download code instead of a physical copy of the game. Some retailers, such as Best Buy and GameStop, are still offering pre-orders.
Some scalpers are already peddling the Constellation Edition of Starfield at ridiculous prices, trying to take advantage of the demand for the limited-edition bundle outweighing its supply. The package containing a collector's edition Starfield watch was originally announced at Bethesda's June Starfield Direct, an hour-long gameplay showcase which also marked the start of the game's pre-orders.
Most retailers offering Starfield pre-orders have sold out the Constellation Edition of the game within hours of the June 11 event. And while some distributors managed to replenish their stock since then, the majority has already sold out that second wave of the limited-edition bundle.
It would appear that a portion of those advanced orders has been placed by scalpers, many of whom are now peddling the Constellation Edition of Starfield at significantly marked-up prices. There are over 150 such listings on eBay as of this writing, with the most affordable one of the lot retailing at $328. Only two dozen of them are priced below $400, with the vast majority being in the $400-$550 range. The prices quoted by scalpers further deteriorate the already suspect value proposition of Starfield's $300 Constellation Edition, whose list of goodies is frontlined by a digital timepiece which lacks most basic features of a contemporary smartwatch.
Retailers Still Offering Starfield Constellation Edition Pre-Orders As Of July 28
Besides that device, the bundle also includes a watch case, Constellation cloth patch, and a steelbook with nothing to put in it, as the package comes with a digital download code instead of a physical copy of the game. While the Constellation Edition of Starfield is a limited-edition product, Bethesda has historically released such collector's packages in waves. Since the official Bethesda Gear Store has so far only restocked on the bundle once, those who still haven't managed to order it directly from the developer might yet get a chance to do so in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Best Buy and GameStop are still offering Constellation Edition pre-orders at normal prices, with the former retailer labeling the bundle as a high-demand product that's likely to go out of stock soon. There's no guarantee that those listings are up-to-date, however, especially seeing how even some existing Starfield Constellation Edition pre-orders may have gotten canceled over the course of July.
The digital download code included in the bundle is for the Premium Digital Edition of the upcoming RPG, valued at $99.99, or $104.98 if the Premium Edition upgrade is bought separately from the base game. This version of Starfield comes with some extra content, including the Shattered Space expansion that won't be available at launch. However, its biggest immediate benefit is a week-long period of Starfield early access.
Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: eBay