Earlier this week, Bethesda showcased its highly anticipated sci-fi RPG Starfield, giving fans a detailed look at the gameplay. While the response has been largely positive, there has been some controversy surrounding the game’s locked 30fps on Xbox Series X and S. Microsoft claims this was a “creative choice,” but many have questioned why Bethesda didn’t offer a 60fps Performance mode by reducing the resolution.
Fortunately, the team at Digital Foundry may have an answer. They analyzed a scene running on Xbox Series X and discovered that the game was running at an internal resolution of approximately 1296p, which was then upscaled to 4K. While most console games use upscaling for their “4K” modes, 1296p is a relatively low native resolution, equivalent to about 60% of true 4K. This means that Bethesda has limited room to provide a mode that can consistently run at 60fps with a reasonable pixel count. You can watch the full Starfield analysis by Digital Foundry below if you have the time.
Digital Foundry speculates that Starfield’s decision to run at 30fps and a relatively low internal resolution may be due to the game being CPU-bound. With its vast array of interlocking systems, similar to Skyrim, objects in the game have persistence. The showcase even demonstrated a character stacking numerous sandwiches on a table, highlighting the complexity of tracking all these objects throughout an entire in-game galaxy. Additionally, Starfield doesn’t compromise on visual quality, boasting real-time global illumination, high-detail assets, and other modern effects.
In essence, the choice to stick with 30fps seems to be a deliberate creative decision. Unlike previous games from Bethesda that were built on subpar optimization, Starfield pushes the boundaries of complexity and visual fidelity, which comes at a performance cost. Recent games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have shown that if these elements come together, resolution and framerate aren’t the sole determining factors of a game’s quality.
Starfield will be released on PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6. What are your thoughts on Bethesda’s creative and technical choices for the game?
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
