Starfield details are coming out, and it might be bad news for many gamers without an AMD processor. With the release of Starfield just two weeks away, the hype levels have been through the roof. Starfield is promising an experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Take Mass Effect, No Man’s Sky, and Skyrim and throw them into a blender, and the result will supposedly be Bethesda’s Starfield. With expectations this lofty, it appears that many PC owners might be in for a rude awakening come September 6th.
A recent leak has revealed that Nvidia and Intel graphics card owners will be out of luck when it comes to Starfield supporting the very popular DLSS technology that Nvidia provides. While disappointing to many, this is likely due to Bethesda and AMD having an exclusive partnership, especially regarding their new IP, Starfield.
Can Nvidia and Intel Graphics Cards Owners Play Starfield, or Do You Need AMD?
This does not mean that Nvidia and Intel graphics cards won’t play Starfield, but they may have some more performance issues when cranking up the graphics. For AMD owners, you drew the right card this time around. Starfield supports FSR 2.0, which, while plenty good enough for most gamers, it’s not on the same level as the DLSS that Nvidia features.
Now, it’s important to note that you do not need AMD cards in order to run FSR 2.0 with Starfield; in fact, any PC with a GPU is able to run it. This is just for the upscaling crowd, so for those who don’t mind running lower-quality graphics for a smooth experience, you’ll be mostly fine.
For those that want to amp up the graphics to their GPU’s maximum capability, the upscaling usually does a good amount of work in that regard. Here, you won’t have your usual three options of FSR 2.0, DLSS, and XeSS, but rather only FSR 2.0.
This is not an official statement yet, as Bethesda has yet to say anything on the matter. Unfortunately, the preload files are out for the world to see. When you connect that information with Bethesda’s very public deal with AMD for Starfield, it’s easy to see the writing on the wall.
The other upscalers may be added either with a day one patch, but nothing has been announced yet. Luckily, like clockwork, modders are here to save the day yet again with a mod to add DLSS 3 in short order. The mod will not be free, however, but for many, that is a small price to pay for premium performance on what looks to be one of this year’s biggest and best games.
Starfield has been in the works for seven years and has been described as the game that Todd Howard has always wanted to make. For a game to put a franchise as massive as The Elder Scrolls on the back burner, there has to be something substantial there.
From all the early looks of the game, it appears to be a sprawling RPG filled with rich lore, varied combat, and a procedurally generated world in the vein of No Man’s Sky. The total package is something that looks to pick the best pieces from the best games in the genre to create a cohesive mix that has something for everyone.
All our questions will be answered on September 6th, when Starfield releases for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
