Phil Spencer played Starfield over the weekend ahead of September release

A closer examination of the images shared reveals a slice of delightful authenticity: Phil Spencer's Xbox profile picture - an Avatar clad in a lore-accurate t-shirt and jeans. Evidently, Spencer takes his gaming as seriously as his attire. If the head of Xbox is traipsing around the stars, it can only mean one thing: we can expect an astronomical treat.

This isn't the first sighting of Spencer delving into the world of Starfield. He was spotted engaging with the game back last November, so this might not be an entirely new phenomenon. However, his return to the game suggests the development is nearing its final stages. Yet, according to their Xbox profiles, neither Spencer nor Hines seems to have achieved any milestones, hinting that those features may not yet be live in the current build of the game.

The news about these pre-launch explorations emerged on the same day news broke about the FTC's failure to put a stop to Microsoft's whopping $69 million purchase of Activision. Perhaps, Spencer celebrated this hard-won battle by exploring Starfield's thousand worlds, blissfully free from the corporate shackles. After all, in space, no one can hear you gloat.

Starfield, set to launch on September 6, has been generating enormous anticipation (and controversy) among the gaming community. The game promises space combat, extensive ship customization, a thousand worlds, and over 250,000 lines of dialogue. It's a game of such magnitude that Pete Hines, during his FTC testimony, aptly labeled it as an "irresponsibly large game.

However, it's not just about exploring the vast expanse of space or engaging in fierce battles. As gamers wait eagerly, they dream of Starfield romances they're going to pursue, contemplating if they should upgrade to master the Starfield system requirements better. The anticipation seems to be exactly what Spencer and Hines are kindling with their early access exploration.

Gamers might feel a twinge of envy about the exclusive access that these top dogs at Microsoft and Bethesda enjoy. Some are even jesting about their readiness to shell out billions just to gain early access. But, alas, not all of us can hop on the rocket with Spencer and Hines. Instead, we keep dreaming of the Starfield creatures revealed so far and the day we get to play ourselves.

Unfortunately, neither Spencer nor Hines are probably allowed to talk about their Starfield escapades - only Todd Howard has the authority to do so.

The news isn't all bad for eager fans. Those who have the Digital Premium Edition of the game on pre-order will get to play it earlier, as previously mentioned. So, for those willing to upgrade, your interstellar journey might begin sooner than you think.

As for the rest of us, we can look forward to joining the epic space adventure on the Starfield early access start date on the Xbox Series S/X and the PC this coming September 6.

Until then, we can only hope for more sneak peeks from our privileged explorers, Phil Spencer and Pete Hines, as they float into the vast expanse of Starfield.