Starfield, Bethesda’s much-awaited open-world sci-fi RPG was off to a rocky start, and the trend seems to continue. A brand-new quality-of-life update is on its way for Steam players, but those on Xbox still have a bit of wait ahead of them before they can experience the new-and-improved version.
Starfield Update Will Fix Things That Should’ve Been Solid at Launch
After an underwhelming launch, Bethesda will be releasing a large quality-of-life update that’s focused on improving the player experience and fixing many of the issues that have been plaguing Starfield.
NEWS: Upcoming Starfield update is going to be focusing on Quality of Life improvements and bug fixes, Highlights include:
– Photo Mode Enhancements including changing your character's face expression as well as companion's
– You can now harvest resources and open doors while… pic.twitter.com/2ElQ73Tf6R— Game Pass Tracker (@gamepasstracker) March 1, 2024
In this update, players can now multitask more efficiently while using the scanner. For example, you can harvest resources and open doors without having to stop scanning.
The journal interface has been improved as well. Pressing ‘set course’ on an inactive quest will now activate it, streamlining the quest navigation process for players.
David Barron of the SSNN, who was previously unavailable for some players, has made a return. Additionally, the developers have finally fixed a bizarre bug that caused the player’s head to turn left while sprinting in third-person.
One addition is the upgraded Photo Mode, which will allow players to change their own character’s facial expressions and those of their companions.
So far, this is all we know of the upcoming update. Bethesda has hinted at plans to make more QoL changes and add new content and features in future updates.
Unfortunately for Xbox players, they still have a bit of a wait ahead of them before getting their hands on the seemingly lackluster update. Steam beta users will have access to it on March 6th, while other Starfield players will have to wait for an unknown amount of time.
Did Starfield Really Need an Updated Photo Mode?
The news of the update has received mixed reviews, with many complaining that the photo mode addition was unnecessary and that they would’ve preferred fixes for some critical bugs in the game and more essential QoL updates.
QOL patch, first entry is about photo mode. Who gives a fuck about photo mode? How about a map that works. Better menu response times and layout. Gameplay optimisations that limit the need to spend time in menus at all. 40%+ of the game is looking at the menus.
— Joshua Glaze (@joshua_glaze2) March 1, 2024
Many players have encountered major bugs that significantly impact the gaming experience. These major bugs range from causing abrupt crashes, rendering specific areas of the game unplayable, to even corrupting save files.
On a lesser scale, players have also come across minor bugs in Starfield. Technical or graphical issues, while not as severe as major bugs, still pose problems and can ruin the player experience. Examples of these minor bugs include weapons refusing to reload or characters getting stuck in place.
Even aside from the game’s plethora of bugs and lukewarm updates, Starfield isn’t a popular title among the crowds. Starfield has its lovers and haters, but the common thread is that, despite its appeal, the long-awaited game didn’t quite live up to the sky-high expectations built over years of anticipation.
What do you think about Starfield? Do you feel the developers should’ve prioritized other aspects of the game in the upcoming QoL update? Let us know in the comments below!
