Starfield’s 30 FPS ‘creative choice’ sparks debate and divides players

Thanks to a confirmation during the games showcase, Starfield will be locked at 30 FPS on consoles due to a “creative choice”, sparking debate and dividing fans with some arguing that it’ll “make the game unplayable.”

Starfield received a massive showcase during the Xbox presentation on June 11, 2023, where it was confirmed that the game will be locked at 30 FPS on consoles. This decision was claimed to be a “creative choice” as explained by Xbox boss Phil Spencer which has led to a dramatic difference in opinions within the player base.

Todd Howard claimed that they want the game to be stable and keeping it at 30 FPS makes that possible., However, on PC it will run at 60 FPS.

This statement was further supported by Phil Spencer claiming that it is a “creative choice”. Unfortunately, fans did not sit in the same boat with this statement. Here’s what the community has to say regarding this decision by Bethesda and Phil Spencer’s statement.

Players feel that compromising FPS for stability in Starfield is unacceptable

The decision to lock Starfield at 30 FPS in order to attain stability did not sit well with the fans. They feel that the Xbox is advertised as the most powerful console in the market, even more than its competitor PlayStation 5. Hence, players feel that offering 60 FPS should be a basic feature and not something that should even be brought up for debate.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer on Starfield being 30fps on Xbox Series X/S. “It’s a creative choice. We obviously have games that are running at 4K/60 on the platform. It’s not a platform issue, it’s a creative decision.” /via GiantBomb Nite 3: https://t.co/Jnq4Lc7a8R pic.twitter.com/PgiylH7qjj

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 12, 2023

One such player commented that “Huge scope should take a toll on the game size, not FPS” while showing their disappointment regarding the decision from Bethesda. Another player mentioned that “If there’s no 1080p/60FPS, that’s a hard pass for me“, claiming that they rather not play the game instead of compromising.

This controversy got even more heated when Phil Spencer claimed that the 30 FPS lock is a creative decision from the team. This led to a fan claiming that “I’m done with Xbox” while showing their frustration over Phil Spencer’s statement.

Another fan commented that “A creative decision to make the game unplayable?” while mocking Phil Spencer’s statement and Bethesda’s decision. However, even though some of the players are unhappy, there are a few who are supporting the decision from Bethesda.

One such player commented that “If it’s actually smooth and fun and doesn’t crash I don’t care” while showing their support. Another player claimed that “30fps with perfect frame pacing is better than an inconsistent 60fps with frame pacing all over the place” while discussing the current state of game releases.

It seems the support from players is surrounding the idea that games like Zelda and Red Dead Redemption 2 run at 30 FPS and considering the size of Starfield they feel it is understandable. Hence, the supportive players think that those who are against this idea are simply forgetting about the scale of Starfield as a game.

It is currently tough to pass any judgment on how Starfield is going to be. However, based on how involved fans are, it is safe to say that there will be a lot of expectations once the game hits the shelves on September 6, 2023.