The big May 2024 update for Starfield is officially out now on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with PC), and one of its most notable new features is a set of performance mode options for Series X owners.
Thanks to this, you can now play Starfield at 30FPS or 60FPS on Xbox Series X using a standard display. If your TV or monitor is VRR-enabled, you can even go one step further by accessing 40FPS, and an uncapped frame option rate as well.
In the video above, we’ve just focused on the 30FPS and 60FPS performance modes, giving you a chance to view them side-by-side and spot the differences between the two. The 60FPS mode naturally lacks a bit of detail compared to the 30FPS version, so you’ll need to make the choice of whether you prefer better visuals or a higher frame rate.
As mentioned by the folks over at Digital Foundry, the 60FPS mode works pretty well here, aside from in busy situations such as in the cities of Akila and New Atlantis where the frame rate can drop quite significantly at times.
DF: “The good news is that this mode is indeed capable of achieving 60fps in a range of content.”
“The major asterisk here is performance in big cities like Akila and New Atlantis, which run much more poorly than the rest of the game. We’re typically in the 30s and 40s here, with some larger repeatable hitches in certain areas.”
Keep in mind that Bethesda doesn’t necessarily recommend using the 60FPS option if you don’t have a VRR-enabled display, as screen tearing is possible when playing the game this way. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) is a feature that helps to alleviate this and provide a smoother experience, hence the additional FPS options in this update.
DF: “Playing the performance mode at 60fps with VRR enabled at 120Hz output feels like a good sweet spot to me that provides the most consistent and most smooth overall experience, though I could see an argument for most of the other visual options available here.”
It’s still early days, but so far it’s looking like a positive start for Starfield’s latest update on Xbox Series X!
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
