Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

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

Jacob Roach
By
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.

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Senior Staff Writer, Computing
Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn't run on a laptop, he…
Starfield PC performance: best settings, FSR 2, benchmarks, and more
A character in Starfield.

Starfield sets a new benchmark for PC performance, taxing even the most powerful hardware on the market. To get the game to run smoothly, you'll need the best settings for Starfield. 

This is no simple game, and the situation on PC is even more complex. I've tested the game extensively both before and after launch to gather optimized settings, benchmark it with several GPUs, and check in on upscaling support. Here's what I've found so far.
Best settings for Starfield

Read more
Starfield bet on FSR, and now Nvidia players are paying the price
An astronaut explores a planet's surface in Starfield.

Starfield is a great change of pace for PC releases in 2023. The game is very stable, relatively bug free, and it's optimized to run on a wide range of hardware. That doesn't mean the game isn't demanding. It is very demanding, and it's clear Starfield leans on AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2) to push frame rates higher.

As I was gathering my best settings for Starfield on PC, it became clear that the game is designed around having FSR 2 turned on. That's not inherently a problem. For a game as demanding and visually impressive as Starfield, though, leaning too heavily on a singular feature can make some players, especially those on less powerful hardware, choose between performance and image quality. And in the case of Starfield, that's not a decision they should need to make.
The reality of the situation
AMD is Starfield’s Exclusive PC Partner

Read more
How to build a PC for Starfield
The Hyte Y40 PC case sitting on a coffee table.

Starfield is among the most anticipated games of the year, or perhaps even the last few years, and it's only available on PC and Xbox Series X|S. It's no wonder that it's got people turning to PC gaming in droves. Whether you're looking to upgrade or buy a new computer entirely, you'll be pleased to know that now is a good time to shop, as the prices of components are quite low.

It's a pretty demanding title, though, so not just any gaming PC will do -- you'll need a top-notch computer that ticks a few boxes. It's possible to get by with a lower-end PC due to the game's support for FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2), but we're focused on machines that will provide the optimal experience in the game.
The bare minimum

Read more