Starfieldhad a pretty promising showing at Sunday’sXboxShowcase, but notable in its absence was whether it will be capped at 30fps. Phil Spencer and Todd Howard have now confirmed that will be the case and Xbox owners aren’t too happy about it.
Speaking withGiant Bomb, Spencer was asked about the decision-making behind capping Starfield at 30fps. The Xbox boss pointed to other games on theSeries Xrunning at 60fps, citing it as a creative decision byBethesdaand having played Starfield since November of last year, it’s a decision he respects.
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Despite the explanation, those who plan on playing Starfield aren’t too pleased. One gamer points to the lack of choice being the problem, likening the forced cap at 30fps to “some 1984-type propaganda”. Another response to the framerate cap has questioned the point of owning an Xbox at all when you can have the same Starfield experience onPC.
Others seem to want a better explanation than simply pinning it on creativity. As one gamer points out, if Starfield is rendering multiple planets at once, or the draw distance will be something that really wows players, then they might be a little more accepting of not being able to play at anything more than 30fps.
This revelation was somewhat expected afterRedfallexperienced the same treatment, although it was promised the maligned vampire game will be getting 60fps support at some point post-launch. Whether that will still happen remains unclear as plans may have understandably changed. Some who were hoping Starfield would have more resolution options than Redfall may now be a little fearful Bethesda’s space RPG will receive a similar reception at launch.
That really does seem unlikely, though. Other than the fps cap, the reaction to what Xbox had to show of Starfield has largely been positive. It’s also worth noting Spencer’s comments on how long he has been playing Starfield compared to Redfall. The Xbox head claimed he has been exploring the upcoming blockbuster since November. When discussing Redfall’s failings, it sounds likeArkanewas left to its own devices and Spencer wishes Xbox had been more involved.
