Summary
- Starfield's Constellation Edition, which includes a special replica smartwatch, is experiencing issues with the watches breaking within a short time after purchase.
- Customers who reached out to Bethesda for support faced difficulties with automated messages and were redirected back to the company.
- Bethesda has acknowledged the issue and is issuing replacements for the broken watches, although there are no guarantees that the replacements will be free from the same problems.
When Starfield launched back in September 2023, there were several different versions available for purchase. The standard edition was available on day one via the Xbox and PC Game Pass subscriptions, while other special editions and upgrades came with bonus content and early access to the game when pre-ordered.
The most expensive version of Starfield was its nearly $300 Constellation Edition. This edition contained all the physical and digital content from the other Premium versions of the game, such as Steelbook cases, patches, digital soundtracks and artbooks, and skin packs for use in-game, and will grant access to its Shattered Space expansion DLC upon its release. The Constellation Edition also had the unique selling point of a special, fully functional replica smartwatch designed by the UK prop company, The Wand Company, to look like the LPV6 Chronomark Smartwatch featured in the game.
Constellation Watches Are Breaking
Redditor Tovrin took to the Starfield subreddit to share their experience with the Constellation Edition's smartwatch. Originally, the Constellation Edition seemed like a good deal considering that most smartwatches range between $115 and $200 — with the Apple Watch costing $399 — and don't include a brand-new AAA game and its bonus content. Unfortunately, a mere month and a week after receiving the watch, Tovrin claimed the watch was completely dead.
According to others on the post, it's actually impressive that Tovrin's lasted so long as one fellow Redditor, AedarSIVA, claimed theirs died a few days to a week after receiving it. A common link between those complaining about their "bricked" smartwatches is that they left them to charge overnight and awoke to these issues.
Most major collectible items that come with games are figurines or statues, which don't require software or batteries. Therefore, the fact that Starfield's Constellation smartwatches could break this easily makes spending nearly $300 on this edition seem so much more frustrating as removing its functionality means there is only the watch's impressive replica design left to show off as a display piece, which likely could have cost less.
Bethesda Has Issued Replacement Watches
The experience with Bethesda support has apparently been difficult for some, with customers battling a series of automated messages that kept pushing back instructions that they'd already followed. Some suggested contacting the watch's manufacturer, The Wand Company, directly; however, those who attempted claimed that they received a response of “We have been requested to send all support requests for the Chronomark Watch to Bethesda Support,” which led them back to the automated messages.
This is not out of the ordinary within the Technical Support space, as teams are often told to follow scripts or create canned responses as part of the initial triage process for incidents. However, some of the frustration does seem justified when the customers have already covered some of the points in their initial tickets. However, there have been reports of a more positive end result for those who persisted, as Tovrin and AedarSIVA have both confirmed that Bethesda support is issuing replacements for the broken watch.
In the case of AedarSIVA, it took 7 days for Bethesda to make this decision, whereas Tovrin claimed they received a "rather prompt response," suggesting that Bethesda is recognizing it as a known fault. AedarSIVA was asked to send their broken device back and is awaiting a replacement, likely once they have done so. However, Tovrin has been asked for details such as proof of purchase and their address and has promised to keep the subreddit updated on the rest of their experience.
While it's disappointing for those who purchased the most expensive version of Starfield that its unique selling point is experiencing such problems, it does seem like Bethesda is actively trying to sort the issue with replacement watches. Anyone having issues with their watches should reach out via the official Bethesda Support website or the Bethesda Support X page for assistance. Hopefully, these replacements won't experience the same issues, although there's currently no confirmation that they've been built any differently from the originals.
Source: Tovrin/Reddit, AedarSIVA/Reddit, Bethesda Support, Bethesda Support/X