Starfield’s release on PS5 and PS5 Pro offers extensive graphical and performance customization but is hampered by technical issues, including frequent crashes, inconsistent settings, and visual glitches, particularly on the Pro model. Despite these problems and a confusing array of modes, the game’s core sci-fi gameplay remains engaging, with hopes for future patches to improve stability and performance.
Starfield has finally arrived on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro nearly three years after its initial launch on Xbox and PC. While the game has been praised for its qualities and enjoyed by many, its release on PlayStation comes with some notable technical issues and complexities. The game offers an overwhelming number of modes—around 24 on the PS5 Pro alone—allowing players to tweak various graphical and performance settings. This flexibility is both a strength and a source of confusion, as not all modes provide an optimal experience, and some are even strictly worse than others.
Performance-wise, the PS5 in performance mode targets 60 FPS but runs at a relatively low internal resolution (around 1080p) with heavy use of variable rate shading (VRS). Frame rates are generally stable on planet exteriors and interiors but can dip significantly in cities like New Atlantis and Akila. The PS5 Pro, surprisingly, runs at a lower internal resolution (around 900p) in performance mode and suffers from image quality issues due to first-generation PlayStation Screen Space Reflections (PSSR), which cause flickering and noise. The newer PSSR version improves sharpness but introduces visual glitches, particularly with foliage and occlusion.
The game also offers visual and enhanced modes that prioritize graphical fidelity over frame rate, running mostly at 30 FPS with higher resolutions (up to 1800p internal) and better shadow and foliage quality. However, these modes sometimes make others redundant and add to the confusion about which settings provide the best balance between visuals and performance. Additionally, the game lacks proper HDR support, which is a downside for players with HDR-capable displays.
A major concern highlighted in the review is the frequent crashing on PlayStation consoles, which occurs across multiple modes and significantly impacts the overall experience. This instability, along with inconsistent behavior of settings like VSync and mode configurations that sometimes fail to stick, suggests a lack of polish in the port. Comparisons to the Xbox Series X version show the PS5 slightly trailing in performance, while the PS5 Pro generally performs better but with its own set of issues.
In conclusion, while Starfield on PlayStation is a welcome addition that expands the game’s availability, it is marred by technical problems, a confusing array of modes, and stability issues. The reviewers hope for patches to address the crashes and polish the experience. Despite these flaws, the game’s core sci-fi themes and gameplay remain compelling, and there is cautious optimism about future iterations or ports, including a potential Switch 2 version, though performance concerns remain for less powerful hardware.