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Category:
GAME GUIDES

Starfield New Zealand Trick Explained: Can You Play Early

Image of Gordon Bicker
Gordon Bicker
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Published: Aug 28, 2023 01:02 pm

Starfield is rapidly approaching launch and with the time drawing ever closer, fans are starting to already strategize if there’s an even earlier day you can get access to the title. That has (of course) spurred up conversations about the highly discussed New Zealand trick. This article will explain to you if you can use the New Zealand trick for Starfield and what it actually is.

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Does the New Zealand Trick Work for Starfield?

No, the New Zealand trick will not work for Starfield, this is because there is a global release time so it doesn’t matter what region you are in for the release. Everyone will get access to the game at the same exact time which makes it a lot fairer for everyone who is planning to delve into the expansive journey awaiting them.

Related: Todd Howard Confirmed Starfield Has New Game Plus but With an Interesting Twist

Of course, this does actually mean that some places can expect the game earlier than usual. For those in the PT timezone (such as Los Angeles), you will get the game at 5pm on August 31 in Early Access. For anyone in the ET timezone, you can expect access at 8pm on August 31. The best way to check what time you will get the game is to convert 00:00 UTC into your own timezone.

What is the New Zealand Trick on Console?

The New Zealand Trick as it has been coined is when people may switch their console region/timezone to be based in New Zealand before a game’s release. This is in order to play a game earlier when they allow it since New Zealand midnight will be the day before for a number of other countries. Unfortunately for any game with a global release time, you will not find any difference in doing this trick so I recommend just leaving your console region alone for Starfield.

Related: Here’s Why Starfield Requires an SSD on PC

Now that you know all about the New Zealand trick though, you can keep it handy for any other time you may happen to use it for another title if you can’t wait any longer!

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Author
Image of Gordon Bicker
Gordon Bicker
Gordon is a contributing writer for Attack of the Fanboy, a Games Design (BA) Honours student, and a Video Game Ambassador. He has been writing at AOTF for over a year and a half, with four years of games writing experience for outlets like Green Man Gaming. When he's not busy, he'll no doubt be experiencing games, writing poetry, playing guitar, adventuring, or happily starting a new Skyrim playthrough! As an avid Final Fantasy XIV player, he also hopes that you'll gain a warm feeling from his community stories. Gordon has reported on Fallout 4 and Destiny 2, whose favorite genres include action RPGs, MMORPG's and First Person Shooters but is always experimenting with many other types of games.