How to switch weapons in Starfield

Starfield switch weapons — (Image credit: Bethesda)

To switch weapons in Starfield quickly, you should use the D-pad quickslots as these will save you lots of time faffing in inventory menus in the heat of combat. While you can equip weapons by choosing them in your inventory, which you might have to do in some cases, it's far better to have a few of your favorites, some grenades, and healing items all organized in your quickslots, allowing you to instantly switch to what you need. Starfield doesn't explain this useful system very well, so I'm here to clear things up. Here's how to quickly and easily swap weapons in Starfield using quickslots.

Recent updates

Switching weapons is pretty simple in Starfield and it seems unlikely to change substantially, so the information in this guide, which was last updated on November 14, 2023, should be accurate.

How to equip and switch weapons in Starfield

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Once you've highlighted one of your Starfield weapons (or most other types of item for that matter) in your inventory, follow the Favorite prompt at the bottom of the screen and a plus-shaped grid will appear. Use the D-pad to move the icon on to one of the 12 segments in this grid, then select it to confirm the quickslot that the item will sit in.

Now when you're exploring or in combat, you can quickly tap the D-pad to select the weapon or item you need to equip it instantly and save going through the menu again. This is particularly handy for switching weapons in combat if you run out of ammo or need a more appropriate weapon for the job, and once you tap the d-pad time will slow down significantly so you don't need to rush highlighting and selecting the next armament.

Of course, you can still switch weapons in Starfield by opening the pause menu then choosing the down and right option to access your Inventory. Select the Weapons option at the top to open a list of all the weapons you're currently carrying and you can just pick one from the list to equip it and close the menu.

From this menu you can also compare weapon stats and sort your arsenal by Damage or Ammo Type to help manage your gear. However, this is all a bit clunky, so thankfully quickslots are there to act as a much faster way to swap weapons in Starfield.

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has well over 900 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.