One name that has captured the imaginations and caused countless conversations in recent weeks is Bethesda Softworks’ first new game in decades, Starfield. The highly anticipated title, scheduled to launch in the not-so-distant future, has been sending ripples throughout the industry, with fans and experts alike – Starfield. Bethesda’s much-awaited title, scheduled for release in the not-so-distant future, has already sent ripples through the industry, with fans and experts alike dissecting every byte of information that trickles out.
After Bethesda’s controversial decision to cap Starfield’s FPS on the Xbox Series S/X, the debacle now revolves around the PC system requirements needed to experience the game in its full glory.
Courtesy of AMD, which is now Starfield’s “exclusive PC partner,” we now have the detailed specs for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolution targets. However, as many have pointed out, it might be more of a marketing spectacle than practical information.
According to AMD’s promotion, 1080p gaming, which it labels as “Heroic,” will need an AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU paired with an AMD Radeon RX 7600 GPU. For the “Epic” 1440p gaming experience, AMD recommends a Ryzen 7 7700X CPU coupled with a Radeon RX 6800 Series GPU. And for the crème de la crème, the “Legendary” 4K, AMD suggests a Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU paired with a Radeon RX 7900 XT GPU.
Before you start emptying your pockets to equip yourself with these powerhouses, it’s worth noting that these processors are relatively new. They certainly aren’t bad, but the question is, do you truly need them to play Starfield? If the game runs efficiently, older processors should be more than sufficient, right?
Interestingly, opposite to AMD’s not-so-budget-friendly specifications, Bethesda has released more economical minimum and recommended requirements. The minimum setup includes an AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7 6800K, paired with an AMD Radeon RX 5700 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti. The recommended setup, however, includes an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel i5 10600K, with an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080.
These specs, albeit less marketing-heavy, still target a high-end player base, possibly leaving a chunk of PC gamers behind. Plus, there’s no clarification if these requirements are for a 30 or 60fps target at 1080p, which makes it harder for potential players to gauge their readiness.
Another significant area of contention is the lack of support for NVIDIA or Intel GPUs in AMD’s promotional specifications. Bethesda has been mum about whether the game will support DLSS 2 or XeSS, only confirming support for AMD’s FSR 2.0 so far. However, modder PureDark plans to implement NVIDIA DLSS 3 via a mod, but it seems likely to be behind a Patreon wall, adding another layer of complication to the Starfield PC specs saga.
It’s clear from the chatter that the gaming community is in two minds about this. Some believe that AMD’s requirements are misleading, only designed to sell more hardware, while others see it as a sign of the game’s demanding nature.
So, while we’re left pondering these system requirements and scratching our heads at the marketing tactics, the wait for Starfield continues. What remains to be seen is whether these demanding requirements translate into a gaming experience worthy of the investment, both in terms of hardware and emotional anticipation. Until then, we can only wait, watch, and keep our PCs warmed up for what could be an epic journey through the cosmos.
