The highly anticipated Bethesda title is now just a few weeks away from being accessible to fans. While Starfield is enjoying all the hype around its release, one of Bethesda’s decisions has come under scrutiny. Ever since the game was announced at the Xbox Showcase, there have been constant discussions about the makers’ decision to go with a 30 fps rate for the gameplay. The creative choice made by the developers has sparked a lot of controversial debates. 

Although there hasn’t been any official justification for the chosen frame rate, an old video of Todd Howard trying to explain the decision is going viral on the internet. Although fans were impressed by the exceptional 45-minute-long teaser of the game, the decision on the frame rate confused them. However, the video, which is a month-old interview with the game’s director, might have all the answers.

“We Will Sacrifice Some Graphic Fidelity”: Todd Howard Explains 30 FPS Decision For Starfield 

Todd Howard, the director of Starfield has an interesting explanation for the controversial choice. The latter was asked about the gutsy call taken by Bethesda for the frame rate in a month-old interview podcast with Lex Fridman.

“We let the players have as much agency and do as many things as they can as possible. We will sacrifice some graphic fidelity for that, some speed for that. Traditionally, we’re okay with 30 frames a second as long as it looks really good and the simulation is running and all”, the director replied. 

Following the justification, the latter emphasized the need for Starfield to have such a low frame rate. Most giant developers have adapted to the 60 fps performance mode. But the Starfield director believes slight compromises with the frame rate will allow the makers to invest in the detailing a bit more.

This means the decision could ultimately result in an enhanced gameplay experience. Moreover, the director also opened up on the tricks employed by Bethesda to prevent a noticeable difference in the frame rate with regard to controller input and game refreshes. 

Read more: Bethesda Seemingly Teased Starfield In Fallout 4

The confidence Microsoft has shown in the bankability of Starfield is enough to predict the scale of the release. The sci-fi exploration title will have to be a real ‘masterpiece’ to let the fans move beyond the 30 fps debate. Besides the frame rate decision, all other innovative decisions by Bethesda have been accepted and celebrated by the community. It will be interesting to see how the game keeps up with the hype post its release. 

Do you think the compromise made by Bethesda is justified? Let us know your take in the comments below.

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