Support NeoGAF

[Lunatic_Gamer]

Yes, 30fps is playable, but I thought the whole point of these new consoles is that 60fps should be the standard? Or, at the very least, an option?

I’m not going to argue the merits of Bethesda games here, but I have always believed the studio can’t rely on its old arguments of scale and simulation anymore, not when most major games do much of that very well, and look/run significantly better.

Assassin’s Creed, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, The Outer Worlds just to name a few. All of those games are basically Bethesda spin-offs. Open-world with light RPG mechanics, loads of dialogue, some okay mechanics (whether it’s gunplay or swordplay), a large core narrative and endless side content.

That is to say, Bethesda games do not impress me anymore, which means I only really see their shortcomings when viewed next to their contemporaries. I can tell you that Starfield wasn’t about to change my sentiment towards them, until the 45-minute deep dive the developer showed after the Xbox Showcase.




For the first time, I am looking forward to a Bethesda game. I’m fairly certain that it has to do with the volume of fresh ideas and the interesting ways they factor into gameplay. Building a ship, staffing it, flying it into uncharted territory and being free to act anyway I can is something we need more of in-game.

I can board ships rather than blast them. I can land on the surface and deal with problems in person. I can exploit trade shortages and become a billionaire. All of those possibilities feel tangible, not one of Todd Howard’s nebulous aspirations - which is why it’s easy to get caught up in the hype.

But then we get the news that Starfield will be locked to 30fps on Xbox, and I just have to wonder, why? Obviously, the official line is that all the simulation in the background and visual fidelity (which honestly isn’t all that) are the reason. But really, I think it signals that Bethesda’s tech hasn’t caught up enough with modern games.

You could argue that Bethesda games have always been 30fps on consoles, and I do want to stress that 30fps is FINE. But this is Xbox’s first major AAA first-party release on its new consoles since Halo Infinite, it should be a miracle not good-enough.

Starfield is also much more of an action game than any of Bethesda’s previous projects.There’s a lot of shooting, both in first-person and in ship combat. There isn’t V.A.T.S. to rely on here, which makes 30fps all the more awkward.

If I play Starfield, it’s going to be on PC, so I’m not as upset as some people are about the lack of a performance mode on Xbox. But I also know that PC and console code are intertwined, which likely means I can expect the game to perform about on par with Fallout 4. Which is to say, okay, but not groundbreaking.

Xbox needs a big, uncompromised win. After the Redfall disaster, a game that by the way, Phil Spencer said would get a 60fps patch, it needed a launch without caveats, without hemming and hawing. Starfield, sadly, doesn't appear to be it, so we’re going to have wait for the next game from Xbox.

I’m excited to play Starfield, but that 30fps news took the wind out of my sails

Starfield being 30fps isn't the end of the world, but it's not a good look for Bethesda, or Xbox.

www.vg247.com

 

[Clintizzle]

What does sailing have to do with a video game framerate?

 

[Riky]

It's CPU bound, otherwise 1080p at 60fps would be on the table, obvious when the Series S can do 1440p. Hopefully they have a 40fps 120hz mode at some point.

I'm good as long as the frame pacing is spot on.

 

[Nankatsu]

Game looks really good, but for me it's a PC main title disguised as a Xbox main title if you ask me.

When I play this it will be on PC, whenever I upgrade it

 

[GHG]

Play on PC then and rebel against the creative vision.

 

[StueyDuck]

Games media can shut up

I agree it's disappointing(for console players) but games media all pissed their pants at a game this year that reaches the 10s in fps frequently...

They don't get the right to dump on the 30fps

 

[TheDraconian]

 

[nani17]

I see lots of people posting PC for me. Like you I will be getting it on PC but I'll be stunned if we get a good PC port from Bethesda. I'm expecting bad performance out of the gate or a shit ton of bugs

 

[Rykan]

What a strange comparison to make.

 

[StueyDuck]

I see lots of people posting PC for me. Like you I will be getting it on PC but I'll be stunned if we get a good PC port from Bethesda. I'm expecting bad performance out of the gate or a shit ton of bugs

You gotta expect some Bethesda jank. We all know it's gonna happen.

Just don't be game breaking is all I ask

 

[T4keD0wN]

Cool, i hope it is reflected in their review scores.

Spoiler: they will completely end up ignoring the performance just like always.

 

[StueyDuck]

I'm sorry, but if you are incapable of understanding the difference between those games and what Bethesda games do, then you're simply not qualified to write an article such as this, regardless of how I feel about the issue of framerate.

I saw the ign panel for the SGF coverage and it was basically high-school kids and max schofield looking like the teacher who took em on their road trip...

I'm not shocked media isn't qualified to cover these topics

 

[HL3.exe]

You want impressive simulation and game-logic persistency which is all heavily CPU I/O based? Or fancy visuals at 60fps, but ultimately static gameplay irrelevant window-dressing.

 

[Matt_Fox]

It's a game that's going to have long, long legs - people will still be playing Starfield 5-10 years from now and by then consoles and PC rigs will be able to run it at ultra. Fingers crossed there may even be an XSX Pro in a year or so that will be 4K 60.

Like Crysis - if you want demanding ambitious games then this is the price you pay.

 

[The Fuzz damn you!]

The 30 fps thing is absolutely fantastic and a sign of an incredibly exciting game. It’s about time we got a big, systems-driven game with enough going on under the hood to actually tie up these current-gen CPUs. People who want games that run at 60fps have plenty to choose from, but insisting on this for every game cuts out some unique (or at least interesting) gameplay opportunities that simply do not have the CPU budget to run at 60 fps.

I say let’s get some more games that have some actual gameplay under the graphics.

 

[Winter John]

I got a Xbox but the moment they showed the game off I knew it was going to run like dog shit. It's Bethesda. It's what they do. I put on Fallout 76 on the PS5 yesterday just to see how it ran. Jesus Christ. It's horrifying.

 

[vj27]

They said they’re gonna drop a 60fps mode, my guess it’s just gonna be uncapped like how the Witcher 3 did it on my xbone x. Honestly I’m not in the business in waiting to play a generation defining (well so far, praying we don’t get a cyberpunk situation lol) game just for an uncapped frames update. Plus knowing me I’m gonna focus on 100% all the side quests like I usually do lol, won’t even be close to beating it before that update comes anyway.

 

[djjinx2]

For years now this happens, if Xbox has good news or positivity soon follows shitposting here or trash negative articles in the media.

I won't play Starfield just as I won't play Spiderman 2. But I'm sure both will be great.

Hopefully the games just do the talking in the end

 

[Aika'svyse]

I just think its hilarious that one Sony employee got so annoyed at this 60 frames talk, he came out in support of Xbox on Twitter. Game looks beautiful. I enjoy games not frames. Especially when they dont matter and would make the game look worst.

 

[darrylgorn]

The crusty frames were very noticeable during parts of the gameplay reveal. Even 30 fps didn't look consistent so I'll wait on this one.

 

[Darsxx82]

New Clikbait article eh?

 

[Wildebeest]

I see lots of people posting PC for me. Like you I will be getting it on PC but I'll be stunned if we get a good PC port from Bethesda. I'm expecting bad performance out of the gate or a shit ton of bugs

The system requirements for PC are sky high. Going to be some cold water poured out when those pre-orders get fulfilled, except everyone on GAF is running a 24GB 4090, so they will be fine.

 

[Ogbert]

One of the most amusing things about this generation is how console warriors have suddenly discovered the merits of 60fps.

 

[RainblowDash]

Bloodborn was 30fps and it is one of the best games ever. At least for me, frame rate isn’t the most important aspect of a game.

 

[AJUMP23]

Sail away. You will be fine.

 

[Mister Wolf]

There hasn't been a single generation where AAA open world games pushing the envelope of visuals and/or scale were 60fps. Skyrim wasn't 60fps on 360. The Witcher 3 wasn't 60 on Xbox One X. It never happens.

 

[samoilaaa]

only idiots would think that 60 fps was gonna be standard , it can be standard of ur ok with 1440p low settings

 

[Moses85]

 

[Raven77]

Lol 30fps is now just "playable".

So many people here just don't get it. Everyone is complaining that next gen games don't look good enough while also complaining that they aren't running 60fps...

If they were running 60fps THEY WOULD LOOK LIKE XBOX ONE AND PS4 GAMES.

 

[Ogbert]

Would rather 60.

Ok with 30, understanding the scope, but it needs to be locked.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Next gen is here...By a PC if you want 60 FPS in every game...just like it always has been.

Hopefully we get more 60 FPS games this gen so we can see even more next gen, but games as massive as this will be outliers. Hopefully there is a 60 FPS patch later on.

 

[MetalRain]

Oh well, I don't know what id Software are currently working on, but surely there will be more other 60 FPS titles for you next year.

 

[Pelta88]

The 30FPS announcement turned people who were previously boasting about 60FPS, into 30FPS defenders.

And then they pretend that we don't have the recipts. I've seen some twitter threads that made my stomach hurt from laughing.

 

[Doctor Hades]

Well the game will not be 30 fps on PC and that is the version I will be mostly playing on, not least because I can rely on third-party "unofficial" patches to fix the multitude of bugs and glitches that this game will undoubtedly ship with (granted that means I will have to buy it on Steam to use it). And, yes, I am aware that Microsoft claim this is Bethesda's most polished game but a game of this size and scale will still have tons of bugs, regardless. Whether Bethesda fix these is uncertain at this point as they re-releasing Skyrim several times over the years and never fixed the major of issues in that game!

As a GamePass subscriber, I will very likely also download it to my Xbox Series X to play on my 55" OLED TV as well, especially since I can share the save file, and I am perfectly fine with 30 fps in a game like this personally. I'd rather have the eye-candy on console for that big screen experience with HDR and surround sound etc.

Still there's nothing to stop Bethesda adding an unlocked FPS mode to the console version for those with VRR displays. Or even a 40 fps mode, which while not 60 fps, feels and looks noticeably smoother than 30 fps.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Everyone had to know this game was going to be 30 fps right?

Right?

 

[SeraphJan]

Not including a 60 fps performance mode, is it because of CPU bottleneck?

 

[darrylgorn]

Not including a 60 fps performance mode, is it because of CPU bottleneck?

Probably. And no DLSS for the Xbox version, I would think.

 

[adamsapple]

You'll be fine VG247.

 

[balls of snow]

Lol cdpr games are not the same as bethesda games.

Everyone had to know this game was going to be 30 fps right?

Right?

Blame cross gen for existing for this long. It warped the perception of what an uncompromised next gen game is.

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

This is high level concern trolling. They state they are playing it on PC. WTF

 

[Stuart360]

They could end up adding a unlocked mode, after all this 'outrage'. Or maybe look into after launch when the pressure is off a bit.
Its funny becausethere has been tons of meltdowns on here over the 30fps cap, then you go into the FF16 demo thread and like half the people are playing in the 30fps graphics mode lol, and they have a choice of a 60fps mode!.

 

[dotnotbot]

Everyone had to know this game was going to be 30 fps right?

Right?

Some people were convincing me (not here) that Microsofts money will do wonders to optimization and that its too important for Xbox to be 30 Fps only.

 

[Riky]

They could end up adding a unlocked mode, after all this 'outrage'. Or maybe look into after launch when the pressure is off a bit.
Its funny becausethere has been tons of meltdowns on here over the 30fps cap, then you go into the FF16 demo thread and like half the people are playing in the 30fps graphics mode lol, and they have a choice of a 60fps mode!.

A solid 30fps is better than highly variable 60fps mode that falls out of VRR ranges, DF suggest a lot of games would be just better locking to 30fps.

 

[KXVXII9X]

People need to adjust their expectations. Having a beefier console doesn't mean that all games will automatically be 60 FPS. That is a developer choice in what they prioritize.

The scope and RTGI Lighting alone looks extremely taxing. If it was 60 FPS, then things like the geometric detail and lighting would take a hit.

Even the Switch has 60 FPS games. It is the safest to go with a PC if you want framerate above all else.

 

[Thirty7ven]

Stable 30 FPS is good enough unless it's competitive multiplayer or racing/fighting games. It's not optimal, and you would want the Series X at least to have a the >40 fps VRR mode but it is what it is. The game looks great, and you can play it on PC if performance is number 1 in your criteria.

 

[In Cold Blood]

It's a product of the Creation engine and its the reason the game is as big and immersive as it is.
The CPU usage is off the charts.
If you are saying that you can't play the game if it's 30fps, but you played Zelda, and you gamed all last gen at 30fps and enjoyed it, then you are just clout chasing, or concern trolling at this point.

 

[Duchess]

It's not like 30fps is bad - and plenty of us were happy to play at 30 for the past 10-15 years - it's just that once you go black 60fps, you never go back.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Game runs at buttery smooth 60 FPS: “this gen is a letdown, 60 FPS is nice but I’d rather have next gen gameplay/physics/AI/ray tracing….”

Game runs at 30FPS pushing the hardware to the absolute limit: “I am crestfallen that this game is stuck at 30 FPS, they are robbing us!”


No pleasing these people. There will always be compromises in getting cutting edge games to run on a console. If you want no compromises then get a PC

 

[Kiya's Guard]

Maybe in the far future they release an improved version, who knows

 

[ungalo]

Yes, 30fps is playable, but I thought the whole point of these new consoles is that 60fps should be the standard?

You're not the only one i think but you thought wrong. At the end of the day devs are still choosing between resolution and framerate, or visual and technical ambition for their games on consoles with limited hardware. And they come to different conclusions, which is fair in my opinion.