According to the director, Todd Howard, Starfield was capped at 30 fps due to optimizing its performance on next-gen consoles.
After years of conjecture, Starfield director Todd Howard announced that the open-world RPG would only operate at 30 frames per second on Xbox Series X/S, where it will be a platform exclusive. While some fans were disappointed, others pointed out that there's certainly a legitimate reason for capping the game's framerate lower than other "next-gen" games like Forza Motorsport and Spider-Man 2.
What is Starfield?
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning developers of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, present Starfield, their first new world in almost 25 years. Create whatever character you desire and explore with unrivaled freedom in this next-generation role-playing game set amid the stars as you go on an epic mission to solve humanity's greatest mystery.
In 2330, humanity left our solar system, establishing other worlds and living as a spacefaring people. In Bethesda Game Studios' most expansive and ambitious game, you will join Constellation, the final party of space explorers seeking rare relics around the galaxy, and travel the enormous expanse of space.
Why is Starfield locked at 30 fps?
When Howard confirmed the lower framerate in an interview, he said he aimed to keep performance consistent and prioritize the visuals.
“I think it’ll come as no surprise, given our previous games, what we go for. Always these huge, open worlds, fully dynamic, hyper detail where anything can happen,” he said. “We do lock it at 30 because we want that fidelity. We want all that stuff.”
It did, however, surprise at least some fans who felt that one of the promises of "next-gen" consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 was the ability to experience high frame rates, like what costly gaming PCs are used to. And, given Redfall's dismal debut and the delayed arrival of a promised 60fps performance setting, several gamers speculated that the framerate constraint implied Bethesda's spacefaring RPG was incomplete in some way.
What are the system requirements for playing Starfield?
Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 10 version 22H2 (10.0.19045)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 125 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD Required
Recommended System Requirement
OS: Windows 10/11 with updates
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 125 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD Required
FAQs
A. Yes, the only platform supporting native 4K resolutions and 60fps will be the PC.
A. Howard states that they made Starfield operate at 30fps on Xbox systems to retain the game's visual quality. This means you'll receive the best graphics possible but not play at a smooth 60 frames per second.
A. 30 frames per second is similar to 24 frames per second but records greater detail in scenes with a lot of activity or movement. Just be aware that this extra information may cause the film to appear unnatural. It is widely used for television broadcasting and in action movies.
