Nvidia has released an update that aims to improve Starfield performance.
The update targets performance on RTX 30 and 40-series cards. In a blog post, Nvidia said internal tests showed 40-series GPUs see on average a 5% increase in performance.
“Today, Nvidia is releasing a Resizable BAR profile for Starfield which increases performance on GeForce RTX 40 Series and GeForce RTX 30 Series desktop and laptop GPUs,” Nvidia said. “In our testing scenario, GeForce RTX 40 Series desktop GPUs see on average a 5% increase in performance. The Starfield Resizable BAR update will be pushed via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update from NVIDIA and will be automatically applied for gamers running the latest Game Ready Driver (537.34) or the previous release (537.17).”
The tech experts at Digital Foundry have said Starfield is a “bizarrely worse experience” on Nvidia and Intel compared with AMD. This ‘over-the-air’ update will be welcomed, then, by those playing Bethesda’s space role-playing game on an Nvidia GPU.
Nvidia’s latest drivers also add one-click optimal settings for Starfield, which should make it easier for players to instantly configure game options for their system’s hardware.
When Starfield launched in early access form on September 1, it was confirmed that it does not include support for Nvidia’s widely popular supersampling tech, Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS). The PC version of Starfield only officially includes support for one supersampling tech: AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), specifically the second iteration of FSR. The PC settings also do not support Intel’s supersampling tech, Xe Super Sampling (XeSS).
Bethesda has drawn criticism from PC gamers for the decision, which was thought to have to do with AMD and Bethesda’s deal to make the GPU maker the “exclusive PC partner for Starfield”. AMD has insisted there is nothing stopping Bethesda from adding DLSS support if the developer wants to. Modders have released DLSS mods for Starfield, although not without controversy of their own.
There’s a lot going on in the world of Starfield. It’s seen over six million players since launch, making Starfield Bethesda’s biggest ever game launch. Players have worked out how to make ships the AI can’t hit, discovered many hidden references to other games like Skyrim, and used thousands of potatoes to show off its “mind-blowing” physics.
If you’re interested in modding Starfield, check out IGN’s guide on how to install Starfield mods. However, if you’re still just getting started, here are all the things to do first in Starfield.
IGN’s review explains the pull to seek out Starfield’s “immense amount of quality roleplaying quests and interesting NPCs” is strong, despite a rough start and some core aggravations.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].