Bethesda Game Studios’ action role-playing game, Starfield, is now available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and if you’re on the fence about which version to pick up, read ahead.
The game only offers a single display mode on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with mostly the same graphical settings across both consoles that are equivalent to the High setting on PC. However, the Xbox Series S does have lower draw distance, terrain geometry, shadows, anisotropic filtering, textures and post-processing effects in comparison to its more powerful sibling. On PC, it is possible to run Starfield at max settings and get better shadows, anisotropic filtering, draw distance and some small improvements in texturing and post-processing effects, but the improvements are very minor over the Xbox Series X|S versions.
In terms of image quality, the Xbox Series X version of Starfield runs at a native resolution of native 1440p, which is reconstructed to 4K (2160p) via FSR. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S drops the native resolution all the way down to 900p, which is also reconstructed to 1440p via FSR.
With regards to performance, both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of Starfield target a frame rate of 30 fps and adhere to it for the most part. Meanwhile, the PC version can run at 60 fps or higher on a capable PC with available CPU headroom. Load times on PC using an NVME M2 SSD are quite a bit faster compared to either console. The Xbox Series X loads slightly faster than the Xbox Series S, however.
In conclusion, if playing Starfield on a capable PC is an option, it is the way to go over the Xbox Series X|S versions due to the ability to target higher frame rates and achieve superior image quality. The Xbox Series X naturally delivers the best possible console experience, however.
