Starfield players on the Xbox Series X are having the worst experience imaginable with a disastrous patch involving the game’s performance and visual quality. The players have been begging for a performance boost since launch, and Bethesda finally delivered with a few caveats.
Despite being the most powerful console of the current generation, it seems like the Xbox Series X is struggling to run first-party titles at a stable rate. This is a gut punch for users who want the best experience but are getting the opposite and that encourages them to jump ship.
The Starfield Update Is Not Helping the Game at All
It wasn’t long ago when Todd Howard, the CEO of Bethesda Game Studios and game director, announced that an update would roll out in the middle of the month for the game and it promised some quality-of-life improvements like customization options for the space shuttle and the inclusion of a world map. The game launched without a map, which is bizarre for a massive open-world game but the developers managed to remember to add one this time around.
Starfield 60fps patch for Xbox Series X is a total disaster! 😭
Performance Mode = 900p @ 40fps most of the time and only keeps @ 60fps indoors. Huge downgrade visually.
Visuals Mode = 1440p @ 40fps experiencing planets, FRS blur is bad!
PS5 Pro version will be 4K PSSR/120! 😎 pic.twitter.com/Migiv7Nk25
— RGB (Project Latitude/Xbox 3rd Party) #WholeSlate (@RGamerB_) May 15, 2024
Some players were able to boot up the game and test the new update for performance and visuals, and the results are harrowing. It is safe to say that either the developers dropped the ball and made the game even worse than before or the hardware is not cut out for it.
Players are now hoping that the rumored PlayStation 5 port would benefit the game as it did other first-party games that were ported, like Sea of Thieves. The rival platform managed to receive a higher score than initial review scores of first-party games on native hardware, which is quite ironic and humiliating for Microsoft. The Xbox may have higher horsepower but it is clear that PlayStation knows how to better optimize their games.
The PlayStation 5 Could Do Starfield Justice
There were rumors of a potential PlayStation 5 port months ago, which makes it a questionable move for Microsoft. The company went on an aggressive acquisition spree to bolster the lineup of first-party games but decided to shut down several studios in the process, which made their output even slower.
Recently laid-off employees even received an awkward severance package which makes matters even worse. The developers promised a massive improvement for players on the flagship console but they failed to meet expectations yet again, and it is unfair to early adopters.
The mighty have fallen and Bethesda Game Studios is struggling to give the players the experience they deserve. The update was meant to be a hook for older players to return right in time before the Shattered Space expansion but the damage is too severe.
These visuals may not bother an average player but it can be annoying for those who want a definitive experience. Xbox may not be the answer, and the community might have to wait for the rumored PlayStation 5 port to deliver what Microsoft couldn’t.
What are your thoughts about the recent Starfield blunders? Let us know in the comments section below!
