Starfield
Bethesda Game Studios · Bethesda Softworks · 2023
An Xbox console exclusive that launched locked to 30fps and later gained a 60fps Performance mode plus visual options on Series X, while Series S stays near 30fps under the weight of its huge, streaming-heavy worlds.
How it runs on each console
Performance modes are estimated from each console's power and the game's demand — deterministic, never guessed.
Xbox
Xbox Series X
Flagship · 1TB SSD
Xbox Series S
Standard · 512GB SSD
About Starfield
Starfield is an Xbox console exclusive, so on hardware it runs only on Series X and Series S — there is no PlayStation version. At launch the game was locked to a 30fps target to protect its dense, simulation-heavy environments, and a later update added a 60fps Performance mode along with a set of visual modes on Series X that let you weight the balance toward frame rate or image quality. On Series X, Performance mode is the clear pick for smoother movement and menuing, though the most demanding cities and busy interiors can still fall short of a perfect 60 because the engine streams a great deal of world data and leans hard on memory. A display with VRR (HDMI 2.1 or FreeSync) helps steady those moments. Series S remains near 30fps regardless of mode: it has less memory and GPU headroom, and Bethesda prioritized stability there over an unlocked frame rate. HDR is supported and worth calibrating for the extreme contrast between bright planet surfaces and the deep black of space. Because the game is streaming- and RAM-intensive, installing to the internal SSD (or an approved expansion card on Series consoles) keeps loading and world transitions as quick as the hardware allows.
Best display & mode settings
- 1On Series X, switch to the 60fps Performance mode added after launch — it makes traversal and menu-heavy play far smoother than the original locked 30fps.
- 2Use the Series X visual modes to weight toward frame rate rather than resolution; the extra sharpness isn't worth the drops in busy cities and interiors.
- 3Enable VRR (HDMI 2.1 or FreeSync) to steady the dips that appear when the engine streams dense areas and heavy interiors even in Performance mode.
- 4On Series S accept the near-30fps target across modes — it has less memory and GPU headroom, and stability there beats chasing an unlocked frame rate.
- 5Calibrate HDR for the hard contrast between bright planet surfaces and the black of space, and keep the game on the internal SSD or an approved expansion card to speed its streaming and loads.
FPS values displayed on GamerSpecs are estimates. Actual game performance may vary depending on hardware configuration, drivers, cooling, power limits, background applications, and game updates.