Digital Foundry Unveils Insights on Starfield’s New Performance Mods for Xbox Series S
Digital Foundry recently conducted an in-depth analysis of the new performance mods for Starfield on Xbox Series S, providing a much-needed look into how these modifications are impacting gameplay on Microsoft’s entry-level console. These mods, which were introduced earlier this month, aim to bring performance improvements to an edition of the game that has not received the same optimizations as its more powerful counterpart, the Xbox Series X.
Challenges of the Stock Version
The stock version of Starfield on the Xbox Series S faces significant limitations, specifically in its resolution and frame rate. The game runs at a reconstructed 1440p resolution using a base internal resolution of 900p and is capped at 30 frames per second (fps). These restrictions, set by Bethesda, have left many players seeking ways to enhance their gaming experience, an issue that the modding community has eagerly embraced.
Performance mods for the Xbox Series S strive to unlock these constraints, allowing for higher frame rates. However, this unstructured enhancement comes at a cost. Without official support for these modifications, screen tearing can be a problem on non-variable refresh rate (VRR) displays. VRR screens are better equipped to handle the increased frame rates, meaning players with these types of displays are likely to encounter fewer issues.
Performance and Image Quality
Digital Foundry’s analysis also touches on the dual limitations imposed by the hardware, with both GPU and CPU performance being put to the test. Dense cityscapes within the game are particularly taxing on the CPU, while different environments bring the GPU’s capabilities into question. The performance mods attempt to strike a balance by allowing users to adjust variables such as draw distance and shadow quality, thereby tailoring the game to run smoother on less powerful hardware.
Unfortunately, these performance gains often come at the expense of image quality. For instance, dropping the resolution to 1280×720 may help maintain higher frame rates but significantly impacts visual fidelity. This change can introduce noticeable artifacting through FSR 2 upscaling, leading to a less immersive experience.
Given the mixed bag of benefits and drawbacks presented by these mods, Digital Foundry concludes that an official performance mode from Bethesda is highly warranted. Such an official patch could alleviate the need for workarounds that disable Xbox achievements and interfere with save games. As the community eagerly awaits, this analysis underscores the gap between user desires and current game performance standards on the Xbox Series S.
