Patience is a virtue that does not come easy to everyone, especially while playing games like Starfield. You might want to be sneaky and infiltrate an enemy base at night, or you just want a certain time frame to pass. Whatever your reasons might be, there is a way to wait in Starfield, much like any other Bethesda game.
You can wait or skip time in Starfield simply by sitting or sleeping. All you need is the right kind of furniture, and you can skip up to a maximum of 24 hours. Sleeping comes with a set of added benefits but you are free to take your pick.
Take a seat or grab a blanket because we are going to take a deeper dive into how you can wait in Starfield.
How to Wait and Pass Time in Starfield
You can wait and pass the time in Starfield in a couple of ways. Inherently, the idea remains the same no matter the method you decide to utilize, but the benefits set each one apart. Let us weigh our options and then you can pick the one that suits your needs.
Sitting
While you are roaming around Settled Systems, no matter the planet you are on, you will find a piece of furniture to rest your tush on and pass a bit of time. You will get the prompt to sit as soon as you approach something like a chair, couch, or bench.
Once you sit down, another option to “Wait” will appear at the bottom of the screen. You can press the prompted button and will be presented with a slider to set the time you want to pass.
You can pass a maximum of 24 hours. Once you have decided on the amount of time, select Wait and your desired length of time will be skipped.
If you are in enemy territory and you sit down to pass the time/wait, the enemies just seem to ignore you and pass right by you as if you don’t exist.
This is a fun little way to get some breathing room during active combat (or if your bladder can’t take it anymore). Once you are ready to rumble, you can stop waiting and get right back into it.
Sleeping (With/Without Companion)
You can pass the time by sitting but sleeping allows you to do the same along with some other perks.
If you want to sleep, you will need a bed; you can only find those in certain places, such as your home ship or some outpost. Other than that, a bed is a rare occurrence.
Without Companion
If you want to sleep in a bed, find one and lie down by pressing the prompted button. You will once again be given the option to set the amount of time you want to pass.
You will wake up with full HP, all of your stable afflictions such as burns or fractures healed, and you will also be granted the Well-Rested buff. It gives you an additional 10% XP for a limited amount of time.
With Companion
If you sleep with a romanceable partner, the Well-Rested buff will now give you a 15% XP boost for a set amount of time, and you will wake up with a “newfound sense of security”.
Passing time in Starfield might sometimes seem like a hassle, and that is exactly why the wait mechanic exists to speed things up. You can either sit down and enjoy the world bustling around you or get up and become a part of the crowd. Whatever you do, just remember not to let the opportunity slip by while you are waiting.