May 1
Emma Roth
Starfield is finally getting a 60fps mode on Xbox
Image: Bethesda Softworks
Starfield players on Xbox will no longer have to deal with the game’s 30-frames-per-second (fps) cap. As part of an update arriving on May 15th, Bethesda will let Xbox Series X players run the game at 60fps.
The 60fps option comes as part of several new display customization settings. The game will let you choose to prioritize visuals to “[keep] the highest resolution while maintaining full detail for special effects, lighting, and crowds” or choose to prioritize frame rate performance, which will “[lower] internal resolution and detail for special effects, lighting, and crowds.” Bethesda recommends choosing the performance mode when running the game at 60fps or above.
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Feb 20
Tom Warren
Starfield gets FSR 3 and XeSS support.
After launching with just FSR 2 support, Starfield has been gradually getting the very latest upscaling tech. Now Bethesda is adding the latest FSR 3 version, alongside support for Intel’s XeSS upscaler.
The latest update also includes some DLSS fixes, and a change to stop the data menu opening when you take a screenshot.
Starfield Update 1.9.67 Notes – February 20, 2024
[bethesda.net]
Feb 2
Richard Lawler
Starfield is adding support for AMD’s FSR 3 frame generation soon.
Despite an AMD deal to support FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) upscaling, Starfield launched with an FSR 2 implementation that lagged behind the newer approach that adds frame generation for smooth gameplay.
Bethesda already rolled out support for Nvidia’s DLSS frame generation, and says the FSR 3 update will ship later this month. It’s beta testing the tech next week, along with a FormID change that should “improve stability for saves that have visited many locations.”
Jan 18
Jay Peters
Starfield is about to get some nice fixes.
Bethesda released a beta version of update 1.9.47.0 on Steam, and it adds “over a hundred fixes and adjustments,” according to a blog post. (Like improved widescreen support, if that’s your jam.)
The update is set to launch broadly “in two weeks,” Bethesda says on X.
Dec 20, 2023
Jay Peters
Starfield’s next major update is planned for February.
Bethesda has previously said that the game would be getting things like city maps and updates every six weeks, but today the studio shared a little bit more about what’s in the works, including plans for a February patch, information on mod support and new gameplay options (including “new survival mechanics”), and more.
Dec 12, 2023
Jay Peters
Someday, I’ll be able to easily visit my parents again in Starfield.
In a post on Reddit, Bethesda says it’s going to add city maps to Starfield. I could really use one for New Atlantis to help me find my in-game parents.
The company says it’s “hard at work” on features like city maps, mod support, and “all new ways of traveling.” The company expects to roll out updates roughly every six weeks.
Image: Bethesda Game Studios
Nov 20, 2023
Richard Lawler
Starfield’s official DLSS patch is out now.
Bethesda has released the 1.8.86 update for Starfield, and for PC gamers with recent Nvidia graphics cards, it should be an important one since it adds support for their cards’ AI-powered upscaling.
It also has a ton of other fixes and tweaks (now you can easily eat all the food you find), but the folks at Digital Foundry tried the beta version of the patch and have more information on exactly the kind of performance bump players can expect.
Nov 8, 2023
Jay Peters
We eating.
Starfield’s Steam beta that lets you try DLSS is now available, Bethesda said Wednesday. The update is set to be available to everyone on PC and Xbox later this month.
Also, the update lets you eat food placed in the world, which is something that should have been in the game from the start.
Nov 1, 2023
Richard Lawler
After Starfield’s shaky launch, it’s going to beta test the next patch soon
Image: Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda is almost ready to officially add Nvidia’s graphics upscaling technology to Starfield, but it will look for help from the PC gaming community first with an opt-in beta test available via Steam.
The company says the game’s next update will support DLSS with frame generation (which would mean DLSS 3, if not 3.5) as well as display and HDR controls for supported systems.
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Oct 24, 2023
Tom Warren
Xbox and cloud help boost Microsoft’s Q1 2024 earnings
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Microsoft just posted the first quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $56.5 billion in revenue and a net income of $22.3 billion during Q1. Revenue is up 13 percent, and net income has increased by 27 percent. Devices revenue has been hit hard again this quarter, even if Windows has recovered slightly. The star of Microsoft’s earnings are cloud services and Office, though.
Windows OEM revenue, the price that PC manufacturers pay Microsoft to put Windows on laptops and PCs, is up 4 percent this quarter. It’s a surprise increase, given we’ve seen a general weakness in PC sales over the past year, with Windows OEM revenue suffering throughout Microsoft’s entire 2023 fiscal year.
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Oct 16, 2023
Emma Roth
Bethesda’s head of publishing, Pete Hines, is retiring after 24 years
Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Pete Hines, the head of publishing at Bethesda, is retiring after 24 years at the gaming company. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Hines announced that his time at Bethesda “has come to an end.” Hines first joined Bethesda in 1999 as the senior vice president of global marketing and communications, becoming a well-known figure at the company and the face of Fallout. Last year, Hines became Bethesda’s head of publishing.
Bethesda has seen some major shifts over the past couple of years. Microsoft completed its acquisition of the Skyrim developer in 2021. In August, Bethesda released the space exploration RPG Starfield following the rocky launch of Redfall in May.
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Sep 19, 2023
Andrew Webster
That’s a lot of Chunks.
Microsoft says that 10 million people have played its sci-fi epic Starfield since it debuted, making it “the biggest launch in Bethesda history.” Of course, given that the game debuted on Game Pass, this isn’t too surprising, and it’s not clear how the number breaks down between subscribers and those who bought the game.
But still, it’s a big number — and it means plenty of chances for people to enjoy a gourmet cube.
Sep 19, 2023
Tom WarrenandJay Peters
Microsoft addresses the huge Xbox leaks: here’s Phil Spencer’s full memo
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
Xbox chief Phil Spencer has just emailed Microsoft employees about the massive Xbox leak that happened earlier today. In the internal memo, obtained by The Verge, Spencer says Microsoft’s Xbox plans “were unintentionally disclosed” as part of the FTC v. Microsoft case. Documents revealed a lot: a disc-less Series X redesign, a 2028 Xbox that could deliver “cloud hybrid games,” a new Xbox controller, unannounced Bethesda games, and even discussions about acquiring Nintendo.
Spencer hints that Microsoft’s plans may have changed, particularly as some documents were from last year, but others were from years prior. “I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved,” says Spencer in his internal memo.
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Sep 15, 2023
Jay Peters
The newest Steam Deck preview tests VRR, HDR, and improvements for Starfield
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Valve’s next major SteamOS update brings some significant new display settings as well as some new performance improvements to Steam Deck. You can read all about the SteamOS 3.5 update in a blog post on the Steam website.
Two major new features are support for variable refresh rates (VRR) and HDR if you’re using your Steam Deck with an external display that supports them. Valve says that HDR can be enabled if you have a compatible display while VRR can be enabled if you have a compatible USB-C adapter.
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Sep 13, 2023
Jay Peters
Want to hear an orchestra perform music from Starfield?
As I write this, Bethesda is showing the premiere of a performance of the game’s music from the London Symphony Orchestra. I love the game’s music, so this video is totally making my day.
Sep 13, 2023
Tom Warren
Starfield is getting DLSS, an FOV slider, and ultrawide monitor support
Image: Bethesda
Bethesda is planning to add Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technique to Starfield soon. It’s part of a bunch of promises for updates to the game, including brightness and contrast controls, an FOV slider, 32:9 ultrawide monitor support, and even an eat button for food.
Bethesda is releasing a small hotfix today to fix some bugs in the game before it dives into feature requests. “Our priority initially is making sure any top blocker bugs or stability issues are addressed, and adding quality-of-life features that many are asking for,” says Bethesda in patch notes released today. “This first update is a small hotfix targeted at the few top issues were are seeing.”
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Sep 12, 2023
Tom Warren
Nvidia boosts Starfield performance with GPU driver update
Image: Bethesda
Nvidia is rolling out an update that will improve Starfield performance for owners of RTX 30- and 40-series cards. Nvidia says its automatic over-the-air update will enable Resizable BAR and boost Starfield performance for its latest GPUs.
“Today, Nvidia is releasing a Resizable BAR profile forStarfield which increases performance on GeForce RTX 40 Series and GeForce RTX 30 Series desktop and laptop GPUs,” explains Andrew Burnes, technical marketer at Nvidia, in a blog post. “In our testing scenario, GeForce RTX 40-series desktop GPUs see on average a 5 percent increase in performance.”
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Sep 11, 2023
Ash Parrish
Starfield to get official modding support.
In an interview with Famitsu (translated by IGN) Todd Howard said that Bethesda will add official mod support for Starfield sometime in 2024. “Once mods are supported, you’ll be able to do almost anything, just like in our previous games,” he said.
Can’t wait to see all the infinite potatoes and milk cartons mods to start popping up...or maybe one that skips the almost universally disliked opening sequence.
Sep 11, 2023
Tom Warren
Starfield is a ‘bizarrely worse experience’ on Nvidia and Intel, says Digital Foundry
Image: Bethesda
Starfield is one of the most demanding games on PC that we’ve seen recently, with even the RTX 4090 paired with AMD’s latest Ryzen 7800X3D just about hitting 60fps on average at 4K with all the settings maxed out. As reviewers and testers scramble to figure out why Starfield is so heavy, the experts over at Digital Foundry have discovered some obvious differences between AMD and Intel / Nvidia systems.
“If you’re on Intel and Nvidia you’re getting a bizarrely worse experience here in comparison to AMD GPUs in a way that’s completely out of the norm,” explains Alexander Battaglia in a detailed 32-minute tech analysis of Starfield on PC.
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Sep 7, 2023
Jay Peters
That’s a big launch.
The game has “already surpassed 6 million players,” according to the Starfield account on X. It’s unclear exactly what that number means, but likely some combination of people who bought it and people who tried it on Game Pass.
If you haven’t checked Starfield out yet, you should — though I should warn you that the first few hours are pretty boring. (I also recommend rushing through the main quest.)
Sep 7, 2023
Sean Hollister
Starfield: you’re holding it wrong.
Remember when Steve Jobs suggested holding your iPhone differently to avoid “antennagate”? Here’s the Starfield version of that: “Upgrade your PC.”
Earlier this week, Tom put it extremely mildly: “Starfield[...] will demand the most out of both your CPU and GPU.” I would say the game runs comparatively poorly to many triple-A titles, with little graphically or mechanically awesome on screen to justify the low framerate.
Sep 5, 2023
Andrew Webster
Explore strange new worlds very soon.
If you haven’t already been digging into Starfield as part of the early access period, the game will launch for everyone on September 6th on both Xbox and PC (including Game Pass subscribers). For more on the sci-fi epic, be sure to check out our review and this stream with all of our latest coverage, including very important things like futuristic restaurants.
Starfield is a stellar sci-fi refresh of the Bethesda RPG formula
Andrew Webster
Sep 5, 2023
Tom Warren
How well does Starfield run on PC?
Image: Bethesda
Bethesda’s Starfield universe launches this week, with access to more than 1,000 planets and promises of unlimited exploration. It’s a giant game that even after more than 100 hours of gameplay you’ll still be finding things to do and places to explore. But for all this adventure, you might be wondering: how well does it all run on modern PCs?
I’ve spent the past week or so testing Starfield on a few different GPUs, and I’ve come to the conclusion that Starfield is actually very CPU heavy and will demand the most out of both your CPU and GPU. Whether that’s from the regular loading points in the game to the combat and physics-driven parts of adventuring around its various planets, you’ll absolutely want a modern CPU to play this game and maintain high frame rates.
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Sep 5, 2023
Jon Porter
DLSS 3 mod for Starfield has a controversial DRM paywall
Image: Bethesda Softworks
Starfield isn’t even officially out of early access yet, but one of its mods has already generated controversy within the community. The mod in question adds support for Nvidia’s DLSS 3 upscaling technology, which Bethesda omitted to include in Starfield in favor of AMD’s rival FSR 2. But users have been critical of modder PureDark’s decision to lock DLSS 3’s more advanced frame-generation features behind a subscription to their Patreon. The free version of the mod only supports DLSS 2, which offers upscaling but not frame generation.
Attempting to charge users for mods is a controversial topic, as Bethesda and Valve discovered when they teamed up to let modders charge for their Skyrim mods via Steam in 2015. The move was so controversial that Valve removed the feature just days later, with Valve’s Alden Kroll admitting that the company had “missed the mark pretty badly” with its decision to introduce the feature.
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Sep 5, 2023
Tom Warren
It’s time to let something go in space.
Starfield launches tomorrow and people with early access to the game are already hoarding potatoes. Reddit user Moozipan managed to create quite the pile on their ship. I gasped when I saw the hatch open, and I only wish that some of these had turned into mash potato when the hatch closes again.
