Starfield’s Controversial 30 FPS Limit on Consoles: Divided Opinions and Debate Among Fans

By Carlton Murphy Last updated Jun 13, 2023

The announcement that Starfield will be restricted to 30 frames per second on consoles due to a “creative choice” during the game presentation has divided fans and sparked debate. With some claiming that it will “make the game unplayable.” On June 11, 2023, Starfield gained significant attention during the Xbox presentation. Which also made it official that the game’s console frame rate would be locked at 30 FPS. According to Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, this choice was created as a “creative choice,” which has caused a sharp divide in players’ perspectives.

According to Todd Howard, keeping the frame rate at 30 FPS keeps the game stable. However, it will operate at 60 FPS on a PC. Phil Spencer’s declaration that it is a “creative choice” added credence to this assertion. Unfortunately, this comment did not resonate with all of the fans. Here’s what the public says about Bethesda’s choice and Phil Spencer’s remarks.

In Starfield, players believe that sacrificing FPS for stability is unacceptable

Limiting Starfield to 30 frames per second to achieve stability did not go over well with the audience. They believe that the Xbox, even more so than its rival PlayStation 5, is marketed as the most powerful system. Therefore, players believe that providing 60 FPS should be a standard feature and not even be up for discussion.

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 of these players expressed their displeasure with Bethesda’s choice by saying, “Huge scope should take a toll on the video game size, not FPS.” Another gamer said they would rather not play the game than make accommodations, saying, “If there’s no 1080p/60FPS, that’s a hard pass for me.”

When Phil Spencer asserted that the team’s decision to lock the frame rate at 30 increased the controversies, they became even more heated. This prompted one fan to express their displeasure with Phil Spencer’s statement: “I’m done with Xbox.” Another player made fun of Phil Spencer’s news and Bethesda’s choice. Asking, “A creative decision to make the game unplayable?” Even though some players are dissatisfied, a few favor Bethesda’s choice.