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Much has already been said about Bethesda Game Studios' next flagship, Starfield, but comparatively little has been discussed about Starfield on PC, specifically. Given that the technical discussions surrounding the game have been dominated by its Xbox exclusivity and/or the enforced 30 FPS cap, it's not too strange to see PC being put on the sidelines for the time being.
After all, playing Bethesda games on PC is a safe bet. Will that continue to be the case as of September 6? Well, we don't know just yet, but we are reasonably sure about it!
Having previously discussed Starfield's steep hardware requirements on PC, consider this article to be an in-depth continuation of that topic. For those who are concerned about their ageing GPU, it may be a good idea to give the aforementioned article a read. If, however, you just can't make up your mind which platform to buy the game on, this is the place to be.
READ MORE: All The Stuff You Missed During the 45-Minute Starfield Gameplay Demo
Why Playing Starfield on PC is the Right Choice
As we've iterated time and again, PC isn't the right platform for everyone, but it is the right platform for those who don't mind a bit of fiddling and tweaking along the way. This, in turn, enables immense customization and flexibility: even if the developers themselves don't account for a certain tweak or functionality, odds are good that the community will rise up to the task.
For example, if you consider our recently updated low-end PC optimization guide, you'll notice that an awful lot of the featured optimizations will, in fact, help even high-end gaming rigs. Who doesn't want to get perfect frame times, right? The job isn't always easy or simple, but it is doable, and this will most definitely apply to Starfield, too.
Bethesda Game Studios titles are, after all, some of the most customizable games on the market. Based on the old Gamebryo and, most recently, Creation Engine 2, Skyrim and Fallout have received tens of thousands of mods over the years, cementing their value in the industry. Much of this community content repertoire cannot be found on consoles, sadly, making PC the go-to option for those willing to immerse themselves into custom gaming experiences.
Pre-order Starfield on PC via 2Game to score a sweet discount!
Extreme Customizability (If You Don't Get Overwhelmed)
Before we get to mods, specifically, there's other stuff to discuss. We know already, for example, that the Xbox Series consoles will not offer multiple graphics modes for players to choose from. Bethesda is gunning for consistency and atmosphere over all else. This means a locked frame rate and a locked resolution, with no "Performance" mode on launch day.
We'll be the first to admit that a perfectly solid 30 FPS is better than getting a butchered 40-60 FPS with no stability whatsoever. However, on PC, it's your choice which option you end up going with. Bethesda's first-party titles have historically offered ample customization out of the gate. From granular visibility options to texture resolution, we fully expect Starfield to have these as well.
Moreover, you can always jump into Creation Engine 2's classic .ini files and tweak things into oblivion. Will it work out every time? Well, no. Not if you don't know what you're doing, at least. But the option is there! And for some PC gamers, that's all that matters.
Improved Graphics and Performance (On a High-End Rig)
Playing games on consoles - being that they are closed systems - is all about consistency and maintaining the balance between performance and visual fidelity. The same could be said about PC, of course. On PC, however, the player manages the balance between these two aspects of a game. If you want to really make your rig work for it and crank out staggeringly beautiful visuals - you can. If, however, you'd prefer to get a stable 60 FPS or higher - you can.
That's the joy of playing games on PC, really. Everything is up to the player! And, though we fully understand and appreciate that this isn't to everyone's tastes, it will be incredibly important for Starfield's longevity. Look: Morrowind is still being modded to this day, and that's not for no reason! Naturally, Bethesda veterans will already know what that reason is...
Mods, Mods, and - you've guessed it - Mods
And this brings us back to the most obvious point of contention: modding. Our previous discussion of Starfield's most important feature made us appreciate Bethesda Game Studios' output even more than ever before. These are huge, immersive sandboxes whose systems all interrelate and correlate with one another. Object persistence alone is a huge deal here, and extending that to a whole galaxy's worth of content is mind-boggling, to say the least.
The base game is just the start of Starfield's journey, however.
Starfield's modding community is already plotting big things for the game. True enough, it's going to take a while before Bethesda puts out the Starfield Creation Kit. Until that happens - which may take a few months after the game's September launch date - we won't see overly interesting or complicated mods.
Afterwards, though? Anything goes. From weapons to creatures to, heck, whole planets' worth of content being added to the game - everything's fair game. And the only way to access all of that is to play the game on PC. Simple, right?
What If Your PC Isn't Up To The Task?
Everything we outlined above is very exciting indeed. However, the obvious concern many of us have right now is whether our PCs will be able to outperform the Xbox Series consoles in the first place! Remember: Xbox Series S runs the game at 1440P, while Series X kicks things up a notch to 4K - all with an active 30 FPS performance cap.
If you're okay with a stable 30 FPS and don't want to fuss about with any of the above, Xbox will be the way to go. And hey - it's always worth remembering that simple content addition mods do work on consoles! While Series consoles might not get access to the eventual Starfield Script Extender release, they will likely support all the usual weapon, armor, and spaceship additions released on PC.
So, playing Starfield on consoles isn't a wash at all. It's a more stable and coherent experience that is likely going to be preferable for many players. If we know our audience well, though, fiddling with settings and options is what we're all about, and to that end, you can expect heaps of Starfield modding guides right here on 2Game as soon as the game's early access window kicks off. Stay tuned!
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