Starfield is a hardware-intensive game, so there’s no surprise that some players are having performance issues. If you find yourself experiencing low frame rate, stuttering, frame drops, or lag, there are a few fixes you can try to smooth over your experience. The main thing to keep in mind is that this is a Bethesda game, so there are bound to be bugs at launch that can affect performance.
How to fix Starfield low frame rate, stuttering, lag, and frame drop performance issues
If you’re experiencing performance issues like stuttering, low frame rate, lag, and frame drops in Starfield, there are a few fixes you can try:
- Turn on AMD FSR
- Turn down graphics settings
- Lower resolution
- Turn off AMD FSR
- Wait for a DLSS 3 mod (NVIDIA 3000 series and higher only)
Turn on AMD FSR
Turning on AMD FSR may alleviate some of your Starfield performance issues. This technology works similarly to NVIDIA’s DLSS. The game plays at a lower internal resolution, and that image is upscaled to the target resolution. Unfortunately, the game launched without official DLSS support, and FSR is generally a poorer solution. So, you’ll get some extra frames here but don’t expect your FPS to double.
Turn down graphics settings
You can get a higher frame rate (or at least stabilize it) by turning down some of the graphics settings. In particular, shadows are very intensive, and dialing them down just one notch can make a huge difference.
Lower Resolution
Playing Starfield at a lower resolution will vastly increase your performance, but you’ll see a massive hit to visual fidelity. Keep in mind that if you’re trying to play at 4K, your computer has to render an image four times the size of 1080p.
Turn off AMD FSR
Sometimes, FSR helps give you a higher frame rate, but it can sometimes cause stuttering, lag, and frame drops. If you find your FPS is acceptable, but you’re experiencing hitching, then you should try playing with FSR off to see if you can get a lower but more stable frame rate.
Wait for a DLSS 3 mod
Starfield isn’t launching with official DLSS support, but a modder has already promised to add it within the first week. Players with Nvidia cards know just how much of an impact DLSS makes on performance. So, if you have a 3000 series or higher card, just hold tight until the mod is released.
Starfield performance issues FAQ
A: Starfield is a hardware-intensive game, and being a Bethesda title, it may have bugs at launch affecting performance. Such issues include low frame rate, stuttering, frame drops, and lag.
A: To enhance your game performance, you can turn on AMD FSR, adjust your graphics settings downwards (especially shadows), or play at a lower resolution. If you’re using AMD FSR and still encounter stuttering or lag, consider turning it off to achieve a more stable frame rate.
A: While Starfield did not launch with official DLSS support, a modder has promised to introduce a DLSS 3 mod within the first week after launch. If you own an NVIDIA 3000 series card or higher, waiting for this mod could significantly boost your game’s performance.
