Revolutionary Starfield 'Potato Mode' Mod Transforms Older PCs with Stunning Graphics

Highlights

A modder has created a "Potato Mode" for Starfield, which compresses the game's textures to improve performance on older PCs.

There are nearly 600 Starfield mods available on NexusMods, even without official modding tools.

Although the Potato Mode mod can enhance frame rate on GPUs with limited VRAM, it does not tackle other resource-intensive visual effects.

A Bethesda modder has recently released a "Potato Mode" mod for Starfield, which compresses the game's textures to potentially allow it to be played on older PCs. This mod became available online before Starfield's official release.

Bethesda's upcoming space-themed RPG will support modding, but the official modding toolkit will not be available immediately upon launch. Despite this, eager fans have already created Starfield mods even before the game has transitioned out of early access. As a result, NexusMods currently features almost 600 Starfield mods, with new ones being added regularly.

That expanding catalog of modifications now encompasses BulwarkHD's Potato Mode, an offering from a highly productive designer who boasts an impressive collection of over 40 Bethesda game mods. Staying true to its name, Potato Mode reduces the size of Starfield's textures to a 128-bit scale, thereby decreasing the demand on system resources needed to run the RPG. Naturally, this compression of the game's textures results in a noticeably blurrier appearance, but for those whose PCs fall just shy of meeting Starfield's minimum requirements, it's a trade-off that may be worth considering.

Please note that texture resolution is just one of several factors that can impact the performance of a game. Other graphical elements like volumetric lighting, particle effects, and fog can also be demanding to render, just like high-resolution textures. The Starfield Potato Mode does not make any adjustments or disable these visual effects, so those interested in trying it should keep their expectations in check. The mod's creator primarily intended it as a joke, although it may be helpful to a few individuals.

This mod could be particularly useful for improving the game's frame rate on GPUs with less than the recommended 8GB of VRAM. However, it will not address the requirement for Starfield to be installed on an SSD, as this is unrelated to graphics. Some players who have already tried the mod found that it works better when used alongside a modified StarfieldPrefs.ini configuration file, which disables resource-intensive graphical options like reflections and global illumination by setting them to zero.

The modding community has a proven history of optimizing Bethesda's games to run smoothly on hardware that is significantly less powerful than what the developers recommend. However, the true potential of Starfield as a haven for modders cannot be fully realized until the company releases its official mod toolkit. Mark your calendars for September 6, when Starfield will be available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: BulwarkHD / NexusMods