Starfield Save Editor — Edit Credits, Skills & Inventory

Last verified: 2026-09-30

Save file to edit

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Saves\<slot>.sfs

Steam Starfield saves are .sfs files in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Saves. The .sfs is a compressed Creation-Engine container; you cannot edit it directly. Two real routes exist. (1) StarfieldSaveTool (Nexus-Mods, also on GitHub) decompresses a .sfs and outputs the metadata as JSON — drag-and-drop the save onto its Launch.bat. It has experimental write support (read → decompress → modify → recompress → write), so it is best for inspection and light edits rather than deep character surgery. (2) For credits, carry weight, skill points and resources most players use a Cheat Engine table (FearLess Cheat Engine hosts maintained tables) that edits the live game in memory, so there is no file to corrupt — you then save normally. The big gotcha: the Xbox Game Pass build stores saves in an encrypted container under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages, not as loose .sfs, so file-based editors won't see them and you need the Steam version or an XGP↔SFS converter first.

Starfield saves are compressed .sfs files, so you cannot open them in a text editor as-is: the data has to be decompressed to JSON first, edited, then recompressed — or you skip files entirely and edit the running game with a Cheat Engine table. Below is the exact save path, which tool does which job, and the trap the Xbox/Game Pass version sets that the Steam version doesn't.

What you can edit and which tag to change

What it changes	XML tag	Example value	Notes
Credits	`live value (Cheat Engine) / resource entry (JSON)`	`999,999 credits`	Credits are the most-edited value. A Cheat Engine table changes them in memory with zero file risk; then save in-game. Editing the decompressed JSON works but must recompress cleanly.
Skill points / skills	`player perk & skill-point data`	`+50 skill points`	Adding skill points via a table lets you rank skills the normal way (safer than forcing ranks). Forcing skill ranks directly can leave prerequisites unmet and behave oddly.
Carry weight / mass	`player stat`	`Carry weight 100 → 10000`	Commonly bumped to avoid encumbrance. This is a live-stat edit; a table is the clean way.
Inventory / resources	`item + count`	`Add 999× Adaptive Frame`	Resource/aid counts can be raised. Item form-IDs must exist; an unknown ID is ignored on load.
Save metadata	`JSON header (StarfieldSaveTool)`	`Character name, location, playtime`	StarfieldSaveTool exposes the header as JSON for inspection — useful to confirm you're editing the right slot before any change.

How to edit your Starfield save by hand

Fully quit Starfield and pause Steam Cloud (Steam → Starfield → Properties → turn off Cloud) so the cloud copy doesn't overwrite your edit.
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Saves (Win+R → paste) and copy the .sfs you want to edit somewhere safe as a backup.
For file edits: drag the .sfs onto StarfieldSaveTool's Launch.bat to decompress to JSON, edit the value, then recompress/write with the tool.
For credits / skills / carry weight: instead of touching the file, run a maintained Cheat Engine table on the live game, apply the value, then Save normally in-game.
Relaunch and load. If a file-edited save won't load, restore the backup — the original .sfs is untouched.
Game Pass players: your saves are in an encrypted %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages container — convert to SFS (or use the Steam version) before any file tool will see them.

Prefer a save editor instead of raw XML?

There is no polished one-click Starfield save editor the way there is for Stardew or Terraria — StarfieldSaveTool's write support is explicitly experimental. For the common asks (credits, skills, carry weight) a Cheat Engine table is both easier and safer because it never rewrites the file: you edit memory and let the game save. Reserve file editing for inspection or values a table can't reach.

Mistakes that corrupt the save

The .sfs is compressed — opening it in a hex/text editor shows garbage and hand-edits corrupt the container. Decompress with StarfieldSaveTool first.
Game Pass / Xbox saves are NOT loose .sfs — they're an encrypted package under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages, invisible to file editors unless converted.
Steam Cloud restores the pre-edit save if you don't disable it — the usual “my edit reverted” cause.
StarfieldSaveTool write support is a proof-of-concept; keep the original and expect some edits not to round-trip. Cheat Engine avoids this entirely.
A game update can shift the save format — use a table/tool version matching your current game build, or edits fail to load.

Not sure where the file is? See the full Starfield save file location guide (every platform path), or the corrupted-save recovery guide if an edit broke your file.

FAQ

Where are Starfield save files on PC?

Steam saves are .sfs files in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Saves. Press Win+R and paste the path. Game Pass saves live in an encrypted container under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages instead.

Can I edit a Starfield .sfs in Notepad?

No. The .sfs is compressed. Use StarfieldSaveTool to decompress it to JSON, edit, and recompress — or edit credits/skills live with a Cheat Engine table so there is no file to corrupt.

What's the safest way to add credits in Starfield?

A maintained Cheat Engine table: it changes credits in the running game's memory, then you save normally, so no save file is ever rewritten or corrupted.

Why won't a save editor see my Game Pass Starfield saves?

The Xbox/Game Pass version stores saves in an encrypted %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages container, not as loose .sfs. File tools can't read them unless you convert XGP→SFS or use the Steam version.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.