Skip to main content

This Starfield mod adds Nvidia’s DLSS 3 — for free

An astronaut stands on the moon in Starfield.
Bethesda

Starfield has already been the center of a ton of controversy concerning its decision to exclusively use AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2). Modders launched versions of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling 3 (DLSS 3) just hours after the game released, but even that has been the topic of discussion due to a subscription requirement.

Now, there’s a free version.

Recommended Videos

Modder LukeFZ has uploaded a Starfield mod that adds Nvidia’s DLSS 3 into the game, including DLSS Frame Generation. I’ve downloaded the mod and tested it on an RTX 4090, and I can confirm it works.

At the time of writing, the mod has been downloaded just over 4,000 times. For context, a mod from PureDark that adds DLSS 2 into the game has been downloaded over 200,000 times. PureDark is the main modder you see adding DLSS to games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but the dev has been at the center of some controversy with their Starfield mod.

As with the developer’s other DLSS 3 mods, you can only access them by signing up to their Patreon, which requires a minimum of a $5-per-month subscription. The problem this time around was PureDark’s choice to use a Digital Rights Management (DRM) tool to keep non-subscribers from accessing the mod.

The DRM protection was cracked within a few hours of it being discovered, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. PureDark currently has 9,244 members on their Patreon page.

By contrast, LukeFZ, who released a free DLSS 3 mod for Starfield, has 14 members and is making just shy of $50 per month off the page. If you download the mod, make sure to donate or sign up to the Patreon to show your support. The developer says they weren’t even able to test the mod because they don’t own an RTX 40-series GPU, instead relying on two friends to help test.

In my brief time with the mod, it massively improved performance in Starfield. Frame Generation was able to push the RTX 4090 above 100 frames per second (fps) in demanding areas like New Atlantis, even with all of the settings maxed out.

Although it’s great to see a free DLSS 3 mod, make sure to check out my guide on the best settings for Starfield to maximize your performance in the game.

Jacob Roach
Former Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
Nvidia might’ve just given you a reason to skip RTX 50-series
A hand grabbing MSI's RTX 4090 Suprim X.

Nvidia's RTX 50-series graphics cards are set to arrive in a matter of days (you can read our RTX 5090 review now), and although they could be among the best graphics cards you can buy, Nvidia itself might've just given PC gamers a reason to sit out this generation. According to Nvidia's Bryan Catanzaro -- the company's DLSS champion -- it might be possible to add features like DLSS Multi-Frame Generation to older generations of graphics cards.

The news comes via an interview Catanzaro did with Digital Foundry, where the question about frame generation on RTX 30-series GPUs came up. Catanzaro says enabling frame generation on older generations "is primarily a question of optimization," and says that Nvidia will "see what we're able to squeeze out of older hardware in the future."

Read more
Forget DLSS 4 — this app already does multi-frame generation
Path of Exile 2 running on an Asus gaming monitor.

Unlike most of the PC gaming world, my ears didn't perk up when Nvidia announced DLSS Multi-Frame Generation alongside its RTX 50-series GPUs. Although the cards themselves look destined for a slot or two among the best graphics cards, the new DLSS 4 and its Multi-Frame Generation feature that's exclusive to Nvidia's latest graphics cards didn't stand out. To me, at least.

That's because I've been using an app called Lossless Scaling for close to a year now, which spent most of the past 12 months laying the groundwork for multi-frame generation. I've written about Lossless Scaling too many times to count, but it's high time to revisit the app once again. Not only is DLSS 4 on the way to show everyone what multi-frame generation is capable of, Lossless Scaling just received the biggest update it's seen in months.
It's really, really good

Read more
3 GPUs you should buy instead of the Intel Arc B580
The back of the Intel Arc B580 graphics card.

There's no doubt that that Intel's new Arc B580 is one of the best graphics cards you can buy. Clocking in at just $250, it's a powerhouse GPU that delivers performance we normally only see out of GPUs north of $300. As you can read in my Intel Arc B580 review, it's a fantastic option at 1080p and it scales up surprisingly well to 1440p. There's just one problem -- the Arc B580 is sold out everywhere.

Intel clearly didn't anticipate the demand, but you don't have to succumb to scalpers or patiently wait while the Arc B580 comes back in stock. There are some excellent alternatives available around the same price that you can pick up right now.
Intel Arc B570

Read more