As promised, I’ve returned from the Starfield fields for an prolonged have a look at its PC efficiency and settings. And what a journey it’s been – there was the drama-tinged DLSS mod, the crap Steam Deck displaying, the streaming workaround for mentioned crap Steam Deck displaying, and even the primary recorded occasion (I feel?) of a sport totally refusing to work on a tough drive.
{Hardware}-wise, Starfield has clearly not loved the smoothest launch. However actually, it’s not so dysfunctional as to blow up on takeoff; as long as you possibly can meet its excessive system necessities and run it on an SSD, that is in all probability Bethesda’s most steady RPG but. There are bugs, after all, however the one time they’re dependent in your {hardware} is in case you ignore the warnings and set up Starfield on an HDD. Sure, I’ve complained concerning the HDD factor twice in two paragraphs! It’s actually actually unhealthy!
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Tremendous-duper-high framerates are additionally difficult to realize, even on spanking new graphics playing cards and closely multithreaded CPUs, although you may give Starfield’s efficiency a lift with some fine-tuning of the visuals. Scroll all the way down to the underside part in case you simply need the most effective settings information, or learn on for the up to date report on total efficiency.
Starfield system necessities and PC efficiency
In the event you missed the Starfield hype prepare, and are solely now rolling in on the Starfield gentle curiosity bus, it’s value having a refresher on its PC system necessities.
Starfield minimal PC specs
- OS: Home windows 10 model 22H2 (10.0.19045)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800K
- Reminiscence: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
- DirectX: Model 12
- Storage: 125 GB obtainable area
- Further Notes: SSD Required
Starfield really helpful PC specs
- OS: Home windows 10/11 with updates
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel Core i5-10600K
- Reminiscence: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
- DirectX: Model 12
- Community: Broadband Web connection
- Storage: 125 GB obtainable area
- Further Notes: SSD Required
An important bit right here is that “SSD required” isn’t just powerful discuss. Starfield genuinely is unplayable when put in on a tough drive, tormented by crashing, freezing, lacking and desynced audio, interminable load occasions, and sluggish texture streaming. I’ve performed for a few dozen hours extra on an SSD than I’ve on an HDD, and completely none of these issues occurred for me with the stable state drive.
Starfield continues to be a Bethesda sport, and nonetheless has Bethesda bugs. I’ve seen companions get caught on surroundings, motion controls turning into jammed after exiting picture mode, and most annoyingly, the first-person digital camera in some way getting caught in order that it solely factors up. However with an SSD, it’s often the type of wonkiness that may be mounted with a fast load. Up to now, it’s solely HDD utilization that appears to introduce really game-breaking points.
As for total efficiency, Starfield does want comparatively hench {hardware} to run easily. I like to recommend putting in that DLSS mod, in case you’ve received an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU that may truly use it, although FSR 2 is a serviceable different that may work on something.
Upscaling is available in significantly useful for enhancing framerates at 1440p and 4K, although notice that FSR 2 works otherwise in Starfield to the way it usually does. As an alternative of selecting an upscaling high quality mode, there’s a easy on/off toggle for FSR 2, and also you manually set the preliminary render decision scale your self. I discovered 75% decision scale often offered a great stability between sustaining sharpness and elevating efficiency, and it even seems okay-ish upscaling to 1080p. It was with these precise settings, the truth is, that allowed the GTX 1060 – a GPU a number of tiers beneath the Bethesda-approved minimums – to common 33fps on the busy streets of New Atlantis. Perhaps with a really a lot above-minimum Intel Core i5-11600K CPU, however nonetheless.
When sticking to native decision, the 60fps common could be an elusive beast. Neither the RTX 4060 or Radeon RX 7600 may handle it at 1080p/Extremely, producing 42fps and 47fps respectively, and the one means the RTX 3070 may attain it at 1440p was by dropping to Medium high quality with FSR 2 at 75% render rez. Even The RTX 4070 Ti may solely land 40fps at 4K/Extremely.
Except you’ve received an outrageously tricked-out PC, then, preserving the graphics maxed out probably will not be the most effective concept. However you may give your self the most effective likelihood potential, each by utilizing the optimised settings information beneath and by updating your GPU drivers. AMD and Nvidia have each launched new drivers with Starfield-specific enhancements, they usually could make a distinction – the aforementioned RTX 4060 end result was about 10% decrease earlier than I up to date. Intel have additionally used driver updates to repair extra critical issues on their Arc graphics playing cards, which generally couldn’t even launch Starfield when it launched into its early entry interval.
Sadly, there are so such fast fixes for Starfield on the Steam Deck. This behemoth RPG is simply an excessive amount of for the titchy APU to run comfortably, so even with the standard settings completely gutted, it could’t hit 30fps outdoors of tight interiors. It does hobble alongside with out crashing, and the controls work tremendous, so you can possibly sit via it in case you don’t care about visible constancy in any respect. However for Steam Deck play, you’re higher off both streaming it over Xbox Cloud Gaming (for Sport Go homeowners) or beaming it from your individual desktop PC utilizing Steam Distant Play.
Starfield finest settings information
Starfield packs a big handful of customisable graphics settings, even when it lacks most of the extra PC-specific comforts you would possibly get in different big-budget video games. You’ll must depend on mods or guide sport file tweaks to, say, change the FOV. Traditional Beth.
Making changes to these visible choices is value doing, in any case. There are 4 presets obtainable, however they’re not likely tuned for efficiency: the Extremely preset permits the sharpness-spoiling dynamic decision, whereas the Low preset nonetheless leaves just a few FPS-lowering particular person settings enabled. I ought to make clear, truly, that any benchmark outcomes on this information have been recorded with dynamic decision and upscaling turned off, except acknowledged in any other case.
I used the RTX 4060 to check each single Starfield graphics setting at 1080p, checking how reducing every one would enhance on the 42fps attained with Extremely settings. Right here’s the findings in full:
Dynamic decision: It will assist a smidgeon in case you’re on sub-requirement desktop {hardware} or a Steam Deck, however actually, it’s best to flip this off for high quality’s sake. Particularly since you possibly can’t manually set a goal framerate for it.
Render decision scale: That is basically the standard setting for FSR 2 (or DLSS, in case you’ve modded it in). The upper the dimensions, the upper the sharpness, however reducing it is going to enhance efficiency. Purpose for 60-75% for the most effective stability of velocity and picture high quality.
Graphics preset: It will routinely set to Customized when, y’know, customising the opposite settings, so is one thing of a non-issue. Only for illustrative functions, although, Low high quality produced 65fps on the RTX 4060.
Shadow high quality: Straight into the precise high quality settings with a worthwhile change, reducing shadows from Extremely to Low bumped the RTX 4060 as much as 50fps. Almost a 20% climb, all by itself.
Oblique lighting: In contrast, you possibly can in all probability go away this on Extremely. Dropping it to Low didn’t enhance my 42fps common in any respect.
Reflections: Low reflections received me 43fps, only one body quicker than Prime quality. Don’t drop except you’re determined.
Particle high quality: One other unchanged 42fps after swapping Prime quality for Low.
Volumetric lighting: I received a minor uptick from Low high quality right here, with the RTX 4060 averaging 46fps. That’s nonetheless solely a 4fps distinction, however that may very well be a slightly impactful 4fps once you’re this far beneath 60fps.
Crowd density: One other mere 1fps rise from chopping crowds all the way down to Low. I wouldn’t.
Movement blur: This doesn’t seem to have an effect on efficiency in any respect, even when switched off. Private desire guidelines right here – as ever, I ditched it.
GTAO High quality: Low high quality solely helped the RTX 4060 eke out an additional 1fps, so there are higher settings to alter. Then once more, the visible distinction is minor in comparison with Low high quality reflections, so it is perhaps value chopping anyway.
Grass high quality: I received 42fps from Extremely and Low high quality alike, so no must drop this on most {hardware}.
Contact shadows: Once more, there’s solely a 1fps distinction between Extremely and Low, although the latter nonetheless seems okay. Perhaps?
VSync: Flip this off you probably have a gaming monitor with FreeSync or G-Sync. In any other case, go away on.
Upscaling: FSR 2 dissatisfied on the RTX 4060, solely upping efficiency to 47fps with render decision scaling at 75%. Nonetheless, I’ve seen it work a lot better on higher-end playing cards just like the RTX 3070 and RTX 4070 Ti, and significantly at 1440p and above. FSR 2 due to this fact can have a way more optimistic affect, so don’t ignore it.
Sharpening: That is merely a postprocessing filter and as such, leaves efficiency untouched. The default 70% is ok.
Allow VRS: As soon as once more, Variable Price Shading guarantees to assist efficiency, then fails to. With VRS disabled the RTX 4060’s common rose from 42fps to 43fps – not a lot, however sufficient to point out that this rendering trick doesn’t reliably assist.
Movie grain depth: I’d counsel reducing this all the way down to zero. For one, Starfield’s movie grain is obnoxiously sturdy, and for 2, eradicating it granted the RTX 4060 an additional body per second.
Allow depth of area: Just a little rise to 46fps with it disabled is sufficient, in my e-book, to make DOF a luxurious you are able to do with out.
I initially tried chopping simply shadow high quality and volumetric lighting all the way down to Low, as these have been the 2 heaviest hitters, however this didn’t produce the eye-soothing efficiency enchancment I yearned for. Nothing for it, then: if we actually need Starfield’s finest settings, we’re going to should toss in among the little 1-2fps positive factors as properly.
And thus…
- Dynamic decision: Off
- Render decision scale: 100% except in case you’re utilizing FSR 2, by which case, 75%
- Shadow high quality: Low
- Volumetric Lighting: Low
- Movement blur: Off
- GTAO high quality: Low
- Contact shadows: Low
- Allow VRS: Off
- Movie grain depth: 0
- Allow depth of area: Off
- Every part else: Extremely/Excessive
These adjustments had the RTX 4060 averaging 64fps, simply 1fps slower than it did with the whole lot on Low, and with a complete heap of results and particulars nonetheless wanting their finest. I might add FSR 2 in case you’re taking part in at 1440p or 4K, too – relying in your PC specs and monitor rez, this might additional enhance efficiency by over 50%. At 4K particularly, you can additionally probably afford to drop render decision scale beneath 75%, although I wouldn’t go any decrease than 60%.
And hey, if all else fails, you can all the time abandon the idea of excellent seems altogether and set up the Starfield Potato Mode mod.
