Can I Run Starfield? PC Requirements & Optimization Guide 2026
Starfield PC system requirements and best settings for 2026. Complete optimization guide to get 60 FPS on any hardware.
Can Your PC Run Starfield?
Starfield is Bethesda's most demanding game yet. The good news: with proper settings, even mid-range hardware can run it well. Here's the complete guide.
System Requirements
Minimum (1080p Low, 30 FPS)
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X / Intel Core i7-6800K
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 125 GB SSD (REQUIRED)
Recommended (1080p High, 60 FPS)
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X / Intel Core i5-10600K
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT / NVIDIA RTX 2080
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 125 GB SSD
4K Ultra
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 125 GB NVMe SSD
Real Performance (2026 Hardware)
| GPU | 1080p High | 1440p High | 4K Medium |
| RTX 5060 | 65 FPS | 45 FPS | 25 FPS |
| RTX 5060 Ti | 80 FPS | 55 FPS | 32 FPS |
| RTX 5070 | 100 FPS | 72 FPS | 45 FPS |
| RTX 5080 | 120 FPS | 90 FPS | 60 FPS |
| RX 9070 XT | 95 FPS | 68 FPS | 42 FPS |
Best Settings for 60 FPS
Budget (RTX 5060 / RX 7600)
Target: 1080p 60 FPS- Shadow Quality: Medium
- Indirect Lighting: Medium
- Reflections: Medium
- Particle Quality: Low
- Volumetric Lighting: Medium
- Crowd Density: Medium
- DLSS/FSR: Quality
- Motion Blur: OFF
- Film Grain: OFF
Mid-Range (RTX 5060 Ti / RX 9060 XT)
Target: 1440p 60 FPS- Shadow Quality: High
- Indirect Lighting: High
- Reflections: High
- Particle Quality: Medium
- Volumetric Lighting: High
- Crowd Density: High
- DLSS/FSR: Quality
High-End (RTX 5070+)
Target: 4K 60 FPS- Everything: Ultra
- DLSS: Balanced
- Crowd Density: High (not Ultra)
Biggest FPS Killers
Crowd Density: Ultra Cities like New Atlantis tank performance. Ultra spawns massive crowds. High looks the same but runs 20% better.
Volumetric Lighting: Ultra Space scenes look gorgeous but cost 15% FPS. High is nearly identical.
Enable VSync: ON Starfield has frame pacing issues without VSync. Even with 100+ FPS, enable VSync or use RTSS to cap at your refresh rate.
CPU Requirements
Starfield is surprisingly CPU-heavy due to:
- Physics simulation
- NPC AI calculations
- Procedural generation
The Shattered Space DLC
The expansion runs slightly better than the base game in most areas but has demanding combat sections. Same requirements apply.
Mods That Help
Starfield Performance Optimization (Nexus)
- Community-made config tweaks
- 10-15% FPS improvement
- Safe to use
- Replaces FSR with DLSS on AMD hardware
- Better image quality
Known Issues
- First landing on new planets causes shader compilation stutter
- Interior lighting can cause brief FPS drops
- Loading between areas is required (open cities are loading zones)
Check if your PC meets requirements with our Can I Run It tool.