Starfield Will Be Locked at 30 Fps on Xbox Series X|S

After the Xbox Games Showcase, it was all about Starfield with the Starfield Direct, as they released a lengthy deep dive on the game’s many systems, making it one of the most ambitious games released by Bethesda. But after the big show concluded, we learned more about the RPG epic through various interviews, and one of them confirmed that the game will be locked at 30 fps on Xbox consoles. 

The reason for the locked frame rate is consistency, Todd Howard tells IGN in an interview. 

“It’s 4K in the X. It’s 1440 on the S. We do lock it at 30, because we want that fidelity, we want all that stuff, we don’t want to sacrifice any of it.” says Todd.

If 60 fps is your preferred setting, the PC version is likely your best bet, but it’s up in the air with Bethesda Game Studios’ recent track record when it comes to the state of their games at launch. The last game they released as a studio was Fallout 76 back in 2018 and that didn’t go so well, though they turned things around years after numerous patches.

And with open-world FPS Redfall announcing the Xbox version being locked at 30 fps weeks before release plus the negative reaction the title received, It would be no surprise if some players feel worried about the game’s performance when Starfield launches this September as that experience is still a bit fresh in people’s minds.

Starfield is vast and multi-layered

It’s a bit awkward hearing that the console version will be locked at 30 fps right after taking the Starfield deep dive. This RPG is vast and filled with so much freedom that it does sound like players can do whatever they want with the game and its many planets (reported to have over 1,000 to explore). The character progression seems deep and invites creativity. Space exploration has bits of No Man’s Sky magic with base building and resource gathering. Combat feels more fast-paced when we last saw it, and conversations can differ depending on your character's traits and affiliations. 

There’s also space combat with the ability to board enemy ships, shipbuilding, hiring crew members, and growing relationships with the game’s key characters.  There’s so much jammed into this game that it’s exciting but worrisome at the same time. If they do pull off a smooth launch with all of the game’s systems working at reasonable levels, we might just have another hit from Bethesda or another title that will be better years after release.

If you haven’t watch the full Starfield deep dive below, which is 45-minutes long.

Starfield is launching on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Game Pass on September 9, 2023.

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