The all-new Starfield is a massive open-world RPG that is a visually stunning game and can be demanding on your hardware. Discover how to optimize your Starfield gaming experience with these expert NVIDIA settings tips to enhance performance without compromising visual quality through this guide.
Key Takeaways
- The ideal NVIDIA settings for Starfield will differ based on your hardware and desired balance of performance.
- Adjusting specific settings, such as render resolution, shadow quality, and threaded optimization, can significantly affect performance.
- Improved performance and responsiveness can be achieved through the use of NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) and NVIDIA Reflex.
With more than 100 hours invested in Starfield, Shoaib offers you a firsthand look at the game, ensuring the information he provides is based on practical experience.
Before getting into the best Nvidia settings, these are the official recommended settings for Starfield by the developers.
- Operating System: Windows 10/11
- Processor: Intel i5-10600K, AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet Connection
- Storage: 125 GB available space
- Further Notes: SSD Required
Starfield is an immensely impressive RPG with breathtaking visuals that feature a vast open-world environment. Due to its extensive gameplay, it may require a system capable of running advanced games.
General Settings
Consider the following settings to optimize your Starfield experience:
Dynamic Resolution
To maintain a smooth and consistent gaming experience while ensuring that the visual quality is not affected, I recommend that you activate the Dynamic Resolution feature without a second thought. Turning on this feature automatically adjusts the game’s Resolution in real time to meet the target framerate. This leads to a gaming experience that is smooth and uninterrupted.
Recommended: ON
Render Resolution Scale and FSR
When the FSR feature is turned on, the game is rendered at a lower resolution and then enhanced to reach the desired output resolution. The Render Resolution refers to the initial lower Resolution at which the game is rendered, whereas the FSR setting determines the method used for the upscaling process. In Starfield, a 75% render scale with FSR2 is the default and is recommended for giving good results.
- Recommended: Render Scale to 75% and FSR to Quality
You can adjust the game’s resolution settings in Starfield. Decreasing the Resolution improves the game’s performance, but it may also reduce the sharpness of the graphics. Therefore, it is true that the sharpness will be compromised.
Graphics Preset
When it comes to choosing the best graphics preset for Starfield on Nvidia GPUs, it all depends on how much graphical detail you’re looking for. It’s also worth trying different presets to see which offers the best performance for your device. If you have a strong graphics card, you might want to consider setting it to a higher level for maximum visual impact.
- Recommended: Start with Custom and adjust it later until you find a better balance between performance and visuals.
NVIDIA Image Scaling
NVIDIA Image Scaling (NIS) is one of the latest features through which the players can now enjoy an improved image quality like never before. This cutting-edge AI technology upscales images and reduces the jagged edges. Experience smoother gameplay with this latest delivery, designed to enhance your gaming experience.
- Recommended: ON
NVIDIA Reflex
One of the main benefits of this feature is that it can significantly decrease the time between the user’s input and the game’s response. As a result, the game becomes more responsive and immersive, providing a more enjoyable gaming experience.
- Recommended: ON
Advanced Settings
Shadow Quality
The Shadow Quality plays a vital role in the visual output of the scene. Opting for higher settings enhances the realism of the shadows in the game. However, it could also have an impact on the overall performance of the system. Shadows are essential as Starfield is a cinematic game, so keeping the Shadow Quality no less than medium is recommended.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Indirect Lighting
This specific option holds the power to enhance the quality of indirect lighting. If increased, it brings about a more realistic lighting effect. However, it is worth noting that this increase significantly impacts the overall performance. There is a lot of indirect lighting as we have to navigate planets in Starfield, so a higher setting will produce better lighting.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Volumetric Lighting
Adjusting this particular setting will affect the quality of volumetric lighting. Opting for higher settings will result in more realistic lighting in Starfield, but one should know that it will also impact your device’s performance. Therefore, finding a balance between your quality and performance is recommended. Due to its cinematic nature, it is recommended to utilize medium or high volumetric lighting for optimal FPS in Starfield.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Crowd Density
The Crowd Density depends upon the CPU of your system. This option determines the number of non-playable characters (NPCs) in the game world. Talking about Starfield, increasing this setting will make the environment more crowded, but it will significantly impact performance. Set this option to low or medium if you do not have a strong PC.
- Recommended: Medium
Motion Blur
Starfield is a first-person shooter game. It’s not recommended to keep Motion Blur on as it blurs the image while in motion. A higher setting will produce smoother motion, but it can also make the game feel less responsive. It is only recommended for certain situation games such as Racing games.
- Recommended: OFF
GTAO Quality
The quality of GTAO is controlled through this setting. The optimal GTAO quality for Starfield will depend on your computer’s hardware. You should set it to medium if you want a good balance of performance and visuals.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Grass Quality
This setting is exclusively made for the grass quality in the game. Higher grass quality in Starfield will result in more precise and detailed grass. However, it is essential to know that it will significantly impact performance.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Contact Shadows
The Contact Shadows in Starfield control the quality of the contact shadows effect as it is a post-processing effect that adds shadows to the edges of objects where they meet other surfaces. Set this option to a higher state for a more natural and three-dimensional appearance.
- Recommended: Medium or High
Upscaling
There are two upscaling options for players in Starfield. The ideal Upscaling setting for you will depend on your computer’s hardware. A high-end graphics card can provide you an advantage, and you can opt for FSR 2. If you have a mid-range graphics card, go for CAS upscaling.
- Recommended: Based on your Graphics Card
Additional Tips
If you’re looking to boost the efficiency of Starfield, there are several additional suggestions you can implement.
- Make sure that your drivers are up to date.
- Close all the unnecessary programs before you start playing the game.
- Making use of a high-quality gaming monitor is going to give you an edge.
- If you are comfortable, you may consider overclocking your CPU and GPU.
Moreover, To enhance the performance for Starfield, you may want to tweak some additional settings in the NVIDIA Control Pane. One helpful option is enabling ”Threaded Optimization” for multi-core CPUs. Doing so can help ensure that your hardware resources are optimally used, resulting in smoother and more responsive gameplay.
Synopsis
These are just a few settings you should adjust to optimize your game for better performance. In my opinion, the most effective method to determine the optimal settings for your system is through experimentation and discovering what works best for you in every situation.
The Last Tip is to play the game at a lower resolution. Adjusting the game’s Resolution to a lower setting may be beneficial. This can improve the game’s overall experience and provide a smoother gaming experience.
I hope the article has helped you learn some of the best NVIDIA settings for Starfield. Please explore our website by clicking the link below to learn more about Starfield.
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Shoaib Rashid is a passionate Gamer and an experienced writer who has been covering the Gaming Industry for over 3 Years. He started his career as a freelance journalist, writing reviews, previews, news, guides, and features for various industries. He joined VA Gaming as a Writer in 2022 and was promoted to Content Editor in 2023, where he oversees the editorial tasks and ensures the quality and accuracy of the content.
Shoaib loves to play all kinds of games, from Competitive shooters to the latest AAA releases, you name it, and he got them all covered; a PC Enthusiast who loves to stay upgraded with the latest hardware, and he enjoys sharing his insights and opinions with the Gaming Community.
While being a hardcore competitive Gamer he also a big Anime fan so his IGN goes by #SHiNiGaMii. and you can join him on Steam and checkout his library to learn more about his accomplishments.