Best Starfield mods you need to try out

The newest mainline entry from developer Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield, is an amazing RPG. The game features a very Skyrim/Fallout-like exploration set in the vast expanse of space. Much like prior the developer's titles, this one has also received great mod support. A sizable number of mods have popped up online, which is quite surprising given the game is still in its early access period. The number of mods are sure to grow over time, along with an increase in their complexity.

As such, this article will list the best mods players can try out right now, in no particular order.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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The best Starfield mods you can use right now

1) ReShade and HD textures

The Clarity Plus ReShade mod (Image via Nexusmods/MartinSpielt)

This subset of mods includes higher-than-default quality textures for the base game, as well as ReShade presets. These alter the color palette of the game, allowing for a more vibrant look. A popular example of this would be the Quantum Reshade and Neutral LUTs mod - which apply more “true-to-life” visuals.

They are a great way to improve visual clarity without compromising on performance.

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2) PS5/Switch button prompts

Dualsense button prompts (Image via Nexusmods/TheShoxter)

Starfield is only available for PC and Xbox Series X/S consoles at the time of writing this article - with no plans on expanding to the PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch. As such, the game does not possess native PS5 or Nintendo Switch controller layouts. which can be quite a problem for players wanting to use these respective controllers.

The "Better Button Prompts" mod aims to fix this, offering controller support for the Dualshock (PS4), Dualsense (PS5), and Joy-Cons (Nintendo Switch). Keep in mind that this mod simply replaces the button prompts for the Xbox icons, and does not include support for more advanced features such as HD Rumble or Touchpad control.

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3) Starfield Performance Optimizations

The Optimizations mod in action (Image via Nexusmods/E3roKK)

While the game is quite playable on its day 1 release for the most part, there is a lot that leaves to be desired in terms of performance. Multiple users have reported lower than average FPS, even on hardware as powerful as the Nvidia RTX 4090.

The "Starfield Performance Optimizations" mod comes into play here, offering a set of small tweaks via an INI file. Simply drag and drop the file into your game directory to load optimized settings for each quality preset. The mod has been reported to offer anywhere from the range of 15-20% uplift in performance, especially on lower end hardware (such as the Steam Deck).

As always, actual results will vary from hardware to hardware.

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4) Achievement Enabler

The Achievement Enabler mod webpage (Image via Nexusmods/Priqrade)

Using mods in Starfield unfortunately disables achievements, as a side effect.

This rather simple but useful mod, known as the “Achievement Enabler,” prevents your save file from being marked as modded. You can now enjoy your modded game without worrying about missing out on achievements.

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5) Starfield Script Extender

The webpage for the mod (Image via Nexusmods/ianpatt)

Accessing the game console can be quite a challenge. Furthermore, the stock console may not be capable enough in the hands of an experienced modder. The "Starfield Script Extender" (SSE) comes into play here, allowing for additional scripting functions to the base game.

This mod is only available for the Steam version at the time of writing this article.

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6) Starfield Upscaler - Replace FSR2 with DLSS or XeSS

Using DLSS or XeSS in the game (Image via Nexusmods/PureDark)

Starfield’s launch without native DLSS or XeSS support was rather disappointing. While FSR 2 is perfectly serviceable, it simply cannot achieve the same levels of image quality as DLSS. To bridge the gap, this Upscaler mod uses a plugin to replace AMD’s FSR 2 with Nvidia’s DLSS or Intel’s XeSS upsampling technology.

This unofficial DLSS support has proven to be quite capable, providing cleaner visuals at almost all presets. However, keep in mind that the mod uses DLSS 2 instead of DLSS 3, and does not support frame-generation techniques.

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Note: The above mods are freely available to download via the Nexusmods website. An account will be required for downloading.