The launch of Starfield, Bethesda’s highly anticipated game, has brought significant expectations, especially for Xbox consoles. As an exclusive title on the latest generation of Xbox devices, Starfield is a crucial release for Microsoft. However, it’s worth noting that the game is also available on PC, offering a potentially superior gaming experience with its uncapped framerate.
PC Gaming Advantage for Starfield
While Xbox Series X users are limited to a 30 frames per second (fps) cap, PC gamers can enjoy Starfield with an uncapped framerate. This feature positions PC as the platform of choice for those seeking the best performance. Furthermore, the modding community’s potential contributions to Starfield, including the addition of new features and fixes, make PC an attractive option for many players.
Setting Expectations for Starfield’s PC Performance
As Starfield’s release approached, PC gamers were eager to discover its performance capabilities, especially at higher resolutions. However, it was important to manage expectations. Bethesda games have often been associated with quirks and performance issues, so there was a concern that the PC port might exhibit poor performance at launch.
PC Features and Performance Limitations
One of the disappointments was the limited display options available in Starfield’s settings menu. Gamers could choose between enabling or disabling “Borderless Fullscreen.” Notably, to play at 8K resolution, “Borderless Fullscreen” had to remain enabled. There was also a lack of visual previews for settings changes and no information on video memory usage.
Another concern was the absence of Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology, which offers significant performance improvements at high resolutions. Starfield’s partnership with AMD meant that DLSS was not supported, leaving only AMD’s FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) as an upscaling option.
Testing Starfield at 8K Resolution
The test involved running Starfield natively at 8K resolution with the highest graphical settings (referred to as “Ultra”). The results were mixed, with an average framerate of 27.9 fps and occasional drops to 23.5 fps. This native 8K performance showcased the challenges of demanding hardware requirements for 8K gaming.
Utilizing FSR for Improved Performance
To address the performance challenges, FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) was enabled with a 75% render resolution, resulting in 5760 x 3240 resolution upscaled to 8K. This adjustment led to improved performance, with an average framerate of 38.3 fps (32.9 fps at the lowest).
Still from the game
Further Enhancing Performance with FSR
By reducing the render resolution to 50% (4K resolution upscaled to 8K), the average framerate increased to 59.1 fps (with a high of 60.9 fps). This configuration showed promise, although occasional drops to 52.8 fps were still observed. Adjusting the graphical settings from “Ultra” to “High” resulted in a smoother and more consistent framerate, with an average of 59.8 fps (dropping to 56.7 fps at its lowest).
Challenges Across Different Game Locations
Performance varied across Starfield’s diverse in-game locations. While 8K gaming was achievable in some areas, others, such as large cities, presented more significant challenges. For example, performance in Neon, a vibrant city, was demanding even with optimized settings.
Upscaling as a Solution for Playability at 8K
Despite the performance challenges at native 8K, the introduction of upscaling technologies like FSR allowed Starfield to become playable at 8K. However, it’s important to note that this experience does not offer native 8K graphics, and higher-resolution textures may not be available.
Conclusion: FSR’s Impact on Starfield’s PC Performance
Starfield’s performance on PC at 8K resolution was a mixed experience, with the need for upscaling to achieve smoother gameplay. FSR played a crucial role in improving performance, although the absence of Nvidia’s DLSS was a limitation. The choice of graphical settings and render resolution adjustments allowed for a more enjoyable 8K gaming experience. While 8K gaming remains demanding, upscaling technologies offer a path to playability at higher resolutions, provided the compromise in image quality is acceptable.
