Will Starfield Only Run at 30 FPS? – Answered

Will the game's FPS shoot for the stars or remain grounded?

By far one of the most highly-anticipated games coming out of Xbox’s first-party lineup is Starfield, the first Bethesda RPG since Fallout 76 in 2018, and the first new IP from the team in decades. This space-faring game is bound to surprise many in September 2023, though some may also be wondering how it will perform at launch. Here’s whether Starfield will only run at 30 FPS on the Xbox Series consoles.

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Can Starfield Only Reach 30 FPS on Xbox Series?

For a good while, we were in the dark as to what sort of framerate Starfield would be running. Thanks to extra details revealed shortly after the June 2023 Xbox Showcase though, we now have an answer. At Quality, Starfield will run at 4K/30 FPS, while Performance will run at 1440p while also running at 30 FPS. Presumably, Performance will offer a more stable experience while Quality mode will offer a less stable experience in exchange for better visuals.

Why is Starfield Only Running at 30 FPS?

According to Bethesda’s Todd Howard, this framerate has been locked to 30 to ensure consistency. It was often running above that during internal testing, though to ensure it would keep a consistent framerate, the team chose to lock it down for consoles. That isn’t to say an upgrade could never come for the title, that’s just how it will be at launch and for the foreseeable future.

Related: Bethesda Rockets Starfield & Redfall Into 2023

If you’re itching for more details regarding both performance for Starfield and gameplay details in general, you won’t have to wait long. Starfield will release on September 6, 2023, on PC and Xbox Series X|S. The team did a full showcase following the more recent Xbox Showcase which went in-depth on the game for about 45 minutes. If there are any questions you have, that should have your answers. You can also check out our guide on where to get the exclusive Starfield controller and headset, if you want either.


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About the Author

Shawn Robinson

Shawn is a freelance gaming journalist who's been with Prima Games for a year and a half, writing mainly about FPS games and RPGs. He even brings several years of experience at other sites like The Nerd Stash to the table. While he doesn't bring a fancy degree to the table, he brings immense attention to detail with his guides, reviews, and news, leveraging his decade and a half of gaming knowledge. If he isn't writing about games, he's likely getting zero kills in his favorite FPS or yelling at the game when it was 100% his fault that he died.