Starfield Is Getting A 60FPS Performance Mode On Xbox Series X

there should be more games with 40fps modes frame times benefit greatly for only 33% more frames

30fps = 33ms frame time
40fps = 25ms frame time
60fps = 17ms frame time

But I thought the game was created ground up to only work at 30FPS? Surely Bethesda and Todd Howard of all people wouldn't just lie to out faces!

Now we're talking

I just talked about this a few days ago. Series X is capable of 40fps and VRR, so why not? Performance is more important than quality for most players according to all surveys (including the one by Pure Xbox), but in this case you don't even need to drop the quality. Series X works great with VRR even below 40fps, unlike PS5.

https://www.purexbox.com/features/talking-point-how-often-do-you-pick-quality-over-performance-modes-on-xbox-series-xs#comment8093723

But I thought Starfield ran at 30fps on consoles because Todd Howard didn't want to sacrifice any of the 4K (on Series X) or 1440p (on Series S) super lovely fidelity of the game's hyper detailed and fully dynamic huge open worlds where anything can happen. Or am I wrong, Todd?

The 60 fps mode should have been there from the start. I played Starfield for almost 200 hours last fall/winter, and when I read this news article my first thought was ”I should have waited for this update” because those 200 hours would have been far more enjoyable in 60 fps.

But then I corrected myself; it is not that I should have waited for the update, it is the game that absolutely should have launched with a performance mode!

I wish all games launched when they were ready…

I tried playing it last year and usually 30fps doesn’t bother me… but for this game I really had trouble shooting and it just felt choppy. Glad it’s getting a 60fps option, even if it should’ve been there at launch.

Gonna give it another go when this update releases.

Oh, I see they are patching Starfield in preparation of PS5 release..

Game was perfectly fine. But cool for people who care about this.

I'm all in for the 30 fps / Quality team, but I don't know, for this game, I'm eager to test this 60 frames mode.
Maybe because we can play the game in first person view, and I think for this kind of game, 60 is probably the way.

Just imagine if this and all the other improvements we have had and future ones before the end of 2024 had been there day one.
Would have had a big AAA almost perfect on our hands critically acclaimed reviews and a massive hit.
Getting Xbox massive praise and lots of momentum.

Why do companies do this and not wait for this perfection for day one and get all the kudos that comes with it?
It’s not like Xbox can’t afford to wait and I’m sure it would have done them more good.

Is it me being sceptical or are they getting ready for a late 2024 PS5 release as well

"But buut it is cpu bottlenecked!" Fkn losers bashing anyone who asked why was our 1st party game on 30 fps, "creative decision" some other lying sheat, we deserve this, no one demands standards of sony's first party games, and those who do are swarmed by fanboys, this should have been a day 1 update.

It sucks that I have a TV that does do VRR, but is only a 60Hz display. It can do 40 in VRR....

I guess that's what I get for saving money by getting a Vizio rather than an LG OLED or something. The color quality on my Vizio is really good, though since it's a QLED.

@Cikajovazmaj
Definitely by the end of 2024 with this and another patch and vehicles on the way and the dlc, you can see a massive re-release for PS5 coming.

@JoakimZ fkn exactly, i feel bad playing it 80+ hours, I would have gotten a much better experience instead of pushing through the 30 fps sheat to give the game a chance

@GamingFan4Lyf that doesn't defeat the purpose of VRR being on that screen though. if its got freesync and the tv supports a lower end range of freesync (like 23/24-60hz) then you'll still benefit from it.

I’m not interested in the game, but I’m glad to see 40fps VRR mode, and I hope it’ll be a trend.

Oh, thank fuuuudge! Finally the xsx can do what it says on the box after all. So why did they spend months insisting on artistic vision if it was this easy all along? Code for "we're rushing release a year late?"

Either that or this must be proof of a PS5 release imminent 🙄

@Markatron84 "It just works."

@OldGamer999 I'd say so probably best to release it on PlayStation aswell drum up some funds for a new fallout game

@Ricky-Spanish
Just have that feeling as they missed the day one release impact on Xbox because of many issues so that boat has sailed.
They are going to so much effect patch wise to make it the game it should have been on release and probably a fantastic AAA game, makes me think a big release for PS5 is coming up. A second coming for Starfield if you like, as it will get reviewed again for PS5 and maybe a 93 plus game.

@JoakimZ they only way that games will launch completed again is if people stop pre-ordering and just don't play it on gamepass or buy it at launch if it's broken.

Money is all that talks so if they launch it and it sells then they don't have to change anything clearly.

Don't be a beta tester, wait 6 months and buy it a half price with twice the features.

@NEStalgia
Just have that feeling as they missed the day one release impact on Xbox because of many issues so that boat has sailed.
They are going to so much effort patch wise to make it the game it should have been on release and probably a fantastic AAA game, makes me think a big release for PS5 is coming up. A second coming for Starfield if you like, as it will get reviewed again for PS5 and maybe a 93 plus game.

@OldGamer999 A working game with dlc and the better fps would make a difference

@Ricky-Spanish
It definitely will all the patches and 60fps they could get some great reviews and great sales on PS5.
Especially this year as Sony are not up to much until April 2025 big AAA exclusive wise.
There is a good gap in the market for Starfield there.

That’s actually great news

@OldGamer999

A second coming for Starfield if you like, as it will get reviewed again for PS5 and maybe a 93 plus game

93 plus game?? For Starfield, the game that everyone loves to hate?
Not gonna happen mate, even if you deduct the (perceived) Xbox tax and add the PlayStation review bonus, it won't come anywhere near that score 😅😉.
Nonetheless, releasing on PlayStation would be a good thing, the more people can play the merrier.

@OldGamer999 I think they need the stress test of all of us gamers playing the games for them to get to the "perfection" level.

@Sol4ris @IssaBrvndo
Maybe I got a bit carried away but it will definitely score and be received better if released on PS5 with all old and new patches and 60fps and planet vehicles.

@OldGamer999 I agree. I honestly don't know what XB has been doing the past 2 years, but they dropped many balls and it feels like they're digging out of a hole they created and we're in that "transition period" waiting for a next generation to "fix" it like last gen. Their focus was so bent on ABK they just stopped paying attention to their own products for 2 years, and when they finally got around to it again realized things were so deep in the hole they'll just work on a reboot next gen. Plus knowingly releasing things like this early because they had literally nothing going on other than this for a long time.

Was that the right strategy? IDK. It gave them a launch when they needed "something" but also killed the impact of the launch from what it might have been able to achieve.

@Sol4ris
Needed a new TV and tried many and ended up getting the Sony X95L 65 inch.
Need bright and mini LED suits me.
Yes the TV doesn’t have 100% on certain things like say an LG C3 to do with sockets etc.

But wow once set up correct what a picture and haven’t seen any blooming and the smoothness on pan and scan motion is second to none.

As for the PS5 on it, spot and very smooth.
Very pleased with picture quality, the best I’ve seen during my testing before buying, apart from the Sony A95L of course.

@NEStalgia
They could have achieved so much in the early days of the series consoles and last year but yes they dropped the ball from a good height and will never recover this generation.
Hardware down, third in all territories.
Yes up on revenue but only due to ABK, without ABK it was down 4%.
Still think console wise even next generation they will not recover, console wise they have had their day and game wise they haven’t shown anything that special so far either but they could recover that with some special big AAA games, if they give developers time and the developers have the talent.
But when your developers have to develop for lots of devices unlike Nintendo And Sony then I think it will be hard for them to produce a GOWR or TOTK.

@OldGamer999 For sure. Which sucks for us. Luckily for me my internal storage took a poop so I never finished

@OldGamer999 Heck, probably just King more than ABK as a whole.

I don't think recovering next gen is out. IF there's one thing that's become abundantly clear it's that the market has a short memory, and a massive marketing blitz that tells everyone they're a failure of a person for not being excited about the thing that every other human being already is excited about, it resets all expectations and makes everyone need to have that thing to be part of the group. Not being on the same page as your Instagram friends is like self decapitation after all.

I don't think it's about big AAA games. It's about the marketing, and ONLY about the marketing. Heck, look at Stellar Blade. A solid AA indie title, give it some controversey, and a half billion dollars in marketing, and everyone will celebrate it as the most highest end AAAAA game ever made. People just think what they're told to think. Sony tells everyone PS is the console they need to have. Nintendo tells everyone the Switch is great for trendy 20-somethings who hate their friends, which is all of them. Microsoft tells everyone....Xbox.....is....I guess an icon on their business laptop? It's there. Somewhere. Might have heard of it.

It's all in the marketing and only in the marketing. Sony could shut down SIE and all its studios tomorrow and PS5's will still fly off shelves. Marketing.

@NEStalgia
Yes marketing PR etc is a big thing.
So with Microsoft knowing with Xbox360 the marketing was really good I thought. And now watching Sony and Nintendo, 2 masters of marketing, why don’t Microsoft market Xbox in a similar way and get successful?

@NEStalgia
The only reason I game really the big end AAA games and that almost pure perfection they bring for me, when done absolutely correctly.

Yes this year so far Ive I had to dip a little so far but it doesn’t take much to put me off a game if it’s systems aren’t thought out etc.
For example if a game is really good but the jumping control of the character is awkward and a bit dodgy then that would spoil it for me and make me think how dumb was the developer leaving the jump control like this.

@NEStalgia Gears 6 and the rumored collection is targeting 60 fps also using unreal engine 5. I think the lid is about to blow off starting in June going forward. Dev’s are catching up finally.

@GamingFan4Lyf for gaming the LG Oled is hard to beat. I have 2 in the house and love them. 120 VRR, 4 HDMI 2.1 ports. Game optimizer. Nvida and AMD compatible. I have nothing but great things to say about my 2 sets. Wouldn’t trade them for anything on the market at the moment for gaming. 😊

40fps on quality mode should be included on every title

@NEStalgia
Everybody always forgets the rest of his quote,
"It just works, when I lie.... every single time they eat it up"- Todd Howard

@shoeses just watch them botch the job as they did with Fallout 4. Literally released patch notes claiming a 30/40 FPS mode and just didn't deliver it on Xbox. Then put out a tweet saying, quality mode also runs 60 fps...like WTF

@Nalverus It does support Freesync.

The problem is these 40fps modes require that 120Hz mode is an option on the Xbox (and PS5)...which it is not.

But VRR has been fantastic for games that don't hold their 60fps targets (especially Elden Ring).

@HonestHick I did have an LG OLED for a day (and it was glorious for the 20 minutes of gaming I did on it just to check it out)...but, it was...uhm...vetoed...when I revealed the price and I had to return it.

@Sol4ris idk push just game the Xbox One game SoT an 8, the same score as everyones favorite semi pron game and 2 higher than Ronin. Anything can happen

@CallMeDuraSouka I thought it was "It just works (snicker)"

@OldGamer999 The only time Ms was ever really good at marketing was Windows 95, and even then all they really did was pay enough money to get the rolling stones to ignore their no commercials policy lol

A little late, but still very good news for Starfield. Bethesda games simply have much much longer legs than most games and that will be the case with Starfield as well. It may have had some features brought in late, but at least they got addressed. It’s no Skyrim, but it’s still a Bethesda game and people will still be playing it for years to come.

As for a PS5 release, I’ll believe it when I see it.

@shoeses Funny because they never said that, that's all on you. Todd Howard said november last year that Starfield could run at 60fps on Series X, but wasn't stable, so they decided to stick to 30fps instead.

Now, of course, they managed to optimize it further and of course, FSR3 is available on consoles with has a feature that double framerate.

But sure, let's keep going like game development is easy and Bethesda just lied for the sake of it.

@Markatron84 That's what happen when you just read the title:

Let's see what he says after that:
"Fortunately in this one, we've got it running great. It's often running way above that. Sometimes it's 60. But on the consoles, we do lock it because we prefer the consistency, where you're not even thinking about it"

That clearly says Xbox Series X managed to run at 60fps from the get go, but it wasn't stable, so they prefer the consistency. But sure, keep reading the title and not the article.

By the way, the Xbox community seems to be really unique. The only community on the planet who complains and criticize a company for releasing a 60fps patch.

Way to go!

@eduscxbox Oh I'm sorry, it was the other loud mouthpiece Phil Spencer who said, in Todd Howard's stead, that 30 FPS was 'a creative choice'. Normally when something that's not true internally like that is said it would be corrected, but I guess they were too busy comparing landing on a video game moon with nothing on it was the same as physically landing on the Moon IRL.

@GamingFan4Lyf say no more, i understand brother. HAHA

If they can make it 60fps now, why couldn't they do that in the first place!?..

@NEStalgia

idk push just game the Xbox One game SoT an 8, the same score as everyones favorite semi pron game and 2 higher than Ronin. Anything can happen

Yes, that could also happen. I just wish Yoko Taro would praise an Xbox exclusive every now and again, say, Hellblade 2....or maybe not. Not enough semi-porn for his tastes 😉

But but but I was told by Bethesda that it was purposely 30fps to keep it cinematic and it was their intended vision!!! I refuse to believe that they could have possibly lied to me 😤😤 (also very happy I get to play it now as 30fps kept me from even trying it)

Great news. My eyes had to give up after about 10 hours. Looking forward to restarting my Starfield adventure. This is like a new game drop for me. Happy days.

@JoakimZ If you'd played at 60fps it'd only have taken you 100 hours too.

Will any of the journalists who'll be involved in face to face interviews and press junkets seriously call Bethesda out on their pre-release BS that not having 60fps and land vehicles were creative choices to give players the best experience? Or has the games industry got outlets so under their heels, and the zero job security and editorial backing got journalists (who can see all the BS clearer than anyone) afraid to ruffle any feathers?

Having a robust professional press is so important for the industry as big companies will tune out whiny trolls like me, but if there were big respected press outlets who had some clout, and would hear some of this stuff, and push back. Sadly the big publishers have too much control, the media companies who own outlets don't take any of this seriously, and poor journalists stuck in the middle.

Sorry for the rant, but I do feel that Starfield is such a great example in so many areas of how massive publishers are bad for the gaming business. Just waiting for the massive layoffs as one of the best selling games of the year wasn't successful enough to complete the bingo card.

It's a good update finally but a lot of the things should have been in the game at launch. Todd been too busy breaking Skyrim.

@shoeses DF did say it was. Avery good consistent 30fps.. also by the time it’s released it will be 9 months from launch which shows it’s not exactly a few lines of code you add in a morning.

@PhileasFragg no. It’s not so much a ruffle feathers thing but you have to play the game. Also a lot of that was true at the time. They’ve had feedback from players and nearly a year to implement those features. Game Dev is hard. The goalposts are shifting constantly on a field of sand.

Let's all agree that gaming is great and enjoy it whatever way you want. 30/40/60 fps, 1080p,1440p, 4k whichever floats your boat. Positive from this news is that we the gamers are getting improvements on a massive rpg for free. Love your hobby and respect everyone

I didn’t play it at the time it was released as I got totally engrossed with Baldur’s Gate 3, but I’ll definitely have a look now.

@eduscxbox I did read the whole thing. Where do you think I got "Todd Howard didn't want to sacrifice any of the 4K (on Series X) or 1440p (on Series S) super lovely fidelity of the game's hyper detailed and fully dynamic huge open worlds where anything can happen" from?

Way to go. Melt.

@PhileasFragg

Will any of the journalists who'll be involved in face to face interviews and press junkets seriously call Bethesda out on their pre-release BS that not having 60fps and land vehicles were creative choices to give players the best experience?

No, they won't. Because all these big heads and executives from the gaming industry be it, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, EA, Take-Two, etc are just too precious, and before one realises, he/she/them has no longer anyone interesting for questions/interviews.
Unlike us, gaming journalists have to make a living and ruffling feathers over something which in my opinion is rather trivial (more optimization time, high demand for 60fps from gamers etc, etc) and an odd choice of hill to die on (as a journalist).

It wasn't just adding a few lines of codes, but Starfield launched 7-8 months ago. If the game launched this month, then it would have achieved an even better reception. Microsoft don't rush studios, so it was probably Todd's fault. I don't know him personally, but he seems an impatient and very stubborn person. I know that they did more testing than on any previous game, but I also know that Series X is more than capable of 60fps or, a the very least, higher than 30, that can be smooth with VRR. In any case, better late than never. Good news.

@Markatron84

Can Todd Howard not change his mind on things? ...he's not exactly known for writing gospels for the Bible 😉.

@Cikajovazmaj Lol. My thoughts exactly.

Maybe now is the time to jump back in. I played the first few hours and stopped.

@Sol4ris he didn't change his mind. Either:
A) it's taken until now to get a stable 60fps working on consoles. Let's not forget, Bethesda isn't exactly known for technical prowess.
B) his mind was changed for him by people demanding a 60fps mode.

@Markatron84

I see, so he's just showing flexibility with his (original) artistic vision. Have a good day mate 👍.

60fps won’t save this dull cringefest.

@OldGamer999 That X95L is a killer TV deal. Closer to reference than almost any other set, and bright enough to use in bright day lit rooms. For the money, it's a steal congrats dude, I'm jealous of your screen!
I wanted to buy one this year, but I'm a Hi fi Nut and just blown 10K plus on some new hi fi units - the wife wont let me spend anymore! For once I think she's probably right

...and back on point, it's good to see 60Hz coming and the god dam maps! Its still hard to believe they released the game without a fundamental part of almost every exploration game. Unfortunately it won't be enough for me to have another crack at it. I spent 80+ hours in it and the issues I had with it were far more fundamental to the design of the game for it to be fixed by these updates. But there are very many who loved it lots more than I, and I'm glad they are getting these updates..

@Sol4ris know what? It'd be nice to not have one of you c*nts jump down my throat for daring to express an opinion. It'd be even nicer if you didn't get arsey with me for daring to defend said opinion.

I fully expect to get banned for this. But then at least I'll be able to keep my opinions to myself. Have a good day everyone 👍

I'll give it a whirl, but I doubt I'll notice a difference in gunplay.

@Titntin
I got it at Costco for £1350 in the end the cheapest price around with 5yr warranty as well.
Probably wall mount this bank holiday.

Yes I put 60 hours into Starfield with that love/hate feeling during the process.
Really wish it had released in the condition it is going to be in by the end of 2024. The improvements etc sound really good but it’s a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
But I think it is gearing up for a second life on the PS5 with PS5 reviews, which should be a lot better than day one reviews.

@Fenbops it doesn't need 'saving'. It was successful and if/when there is a PS5 version then it will become even more so.

@OldGamer999 Astonishing price.. Its at least £1700 everywhere else! They must have run out at costco as I went to see if I were tempted despite my overspending....

@Titntin
They had 3 left when I got there, so guess I got very lucky.
Even though I have an Atmos sound bar system, sub and rears. I’m think on maybe the whole Sony A7000 sound bar, sub and rears to match up.