Steins;Gate Watch Order: Episode 23β, Steins;Gate 0 and the Movie

Watch the original Steins;Gate (2011) first, episodes 1 to 24. After that, watch the film Load Region of Déjà Vu, then the alternate episode 23β, then Steins;Gate 0. Episode 25 of the original and the extra episode of Steins;Gate 0 are bonus episodes you can add at the end of each series.

The confusing part is that Steins;Gate 0 does not follow the original's last episode. It branches off from a different version of episode 23, and that version, 23β, was first shown on Japanese TV years after the original series ended. Here is how the pieces fit, without spoiling either ending.

Steins;Gate recommended order

Order	Title	Format	Notes
1	Steins;Gate, episodes 1–24	TV series (2011)	The main story and its ending
2	Episode 25, Egoistic Poriomania	Disc episode (2012)	Optional bonus
3	Steins;Gate: The Movie, Load Region of Déjà Vu	Film (2013)	Sequel to the TV series
4	Episode 23β	Alternate episode (aired in Japan in December 2015)	Alternate version of episode 23 that leads into 0
5	Steins;Gate 0, episodes 1–23	TV series (2018)	Alternate branch of the original story
6	Steins;Gate 0 unaired episode	Disc episode (2018)	Optional bonus

The original series and its bonus episode

Anime News Network's encyclopedia lists Steins;Gate at 24 episodes, broadcast in Japan from April 5 to September 13, 2011. Its episode list adds a 25th, Egoistic Poriomania, described as a special episode included in the last of the nine Blu-ray and DVD volumes, dated February 22, 2012. Watch it after episode 24 if your release or service has it. Nothing in the order above depends on it.

What episode 23β is

Episode 23 of the original is titled Open the Steins Gate. ANN's episode list notes that "a special version of this episode was made, 23β where the episode ended differently and set the stage for Steins;Gate 0." According to 4Gamer's report from December 2015, the altered episode 23 went out in a Japanese rebroadcast of the series, in the late-night slot of December 2, 2015 on Tokyo MX and Nico Nico, with BS11 airing it the following night. KAI-YOU reported that the version included newly made footage and that fans had been told nothing in advance. 4Gamer's report says this story on the β world line leads into the game Steins;Gate 0 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

So 23β is not a replacement for the original episode 23 and not a recap. It is an alternate version of the same episode, one that, in ANN's words, "ended differently." The 2011 broadcast did not include it.

How 23β is packaged outside Japan is the part we could not pin down. We did not find an official English listing that says whether current streaming services and disc sets file it with the original series, with Steins;Gate 0, or not at all (checked October 7, 2026). Before you start Steins;Gate 0, look for an entry labeled 23β in your service's episode list for either series.

Why 23β waits until after episode 24

ANN lists Steins;Gate 0 as an "alternate ending" of the original series. You could watch episodes 1 to 22, then 23β, then all of 0, and come back for the original 23 and 24 afterward. We recommend against it for a first watch. The original's final two episodes are the ending the 2011 series was built toward, and 0 is designed as a different outcome of the same moment. Seeing the first version before the alternative lets you see what 0 changes. This is an editorial recommendation, not an official order.

Steins;Gate 0 and its extra episode

ANN lists Steins;Gate 0 at 23 broadcast episodes, starting in Japan on April 11, 2018. An additional episode was not broadcast: ANN reported that it would ship with the sixth and final DVD and Blu-ray release of the series on December 21, 2018, alongside episodes 21 to 23. ANN's episode list records it as episode 24, Valentine's of Crystal Polymorphism: Bittersweet Intermedio, marked as an OVA episode. Watch it after episode 23.

Where the film fits

Load Region of Déjà Vu premiered in Japan on April 20, 2013 and runs 90 minutes. ANN lists it as the sequel to the TV series, so it belongs after episode 24. Whether you watch it before or after Steins;Gate 0 is up to you; we put it first because it continues the ending you have just watched, and because it came out first.

Spoiler-safe next steps

Our Steins;Gate quote pages are better read once you know the lab members. The ending explained page discusses how the original series ends and should wait until you have finished episode 24.