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Starfield’s big update finally lands, adds Nvidia DLSS support for all

Bethesda releases Starfield's long-awaited PC update following an opt-in Steam beta version, introducing Nvidia DLSS support for all.

Starfield update: An Asian woman with short black hair and a white and blue outfit stands against a space backdrop smiling, her mouth open
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Starfield 

Starfield took off recently, launching as Bethesda’s biggest RPG to date. While the interstellar game offers numerous hours of space exploration and countless playable questlines, many PC players questioned whether or not the iconic developer would introduce Nvidia DLSS support. The time has finally arrived, as Bethesda releases Starfield’s long-awaited update which brings the highly anticipated GPU technology and other requested features.

If you’re a Starfield stan and Steam user yourself, then you may have already experienced some of the big update’s features thanks to its prior opt-in beta version. For those who haven’t had access to the RPG game‘s exciting patch for one reason or another, it’s finally here and available for all PC players to download. Whether you’ve been waiting for Nvidia DLSS support or the ability to eat Chunks as you see fit, update 1.8.86 is a hefty one.

First and foremost is the feature we Nvidia GPU users have awaited. “This update introduces Nvidia DLSS support for our PC players,” the developer writes. “Compatible Nvidia graphic cards can now use DLSS Super Resolution, Deep Learning Anti-aliasing (DLAA), Nvidia Reflex Low Latency, and DLSS Frame generation.”

I can’t wait to see how this affects my own 4k image quality and performance, especially after our recent hardware rundown of the Starfield performance update. While the Nvidia DLSS support is a highlight of update 1.8.86, it’s not the only significant addition.

Bethesda says that due to popular demand, the team has “added the ability to ingest food and drink items upon finding them in the environment.” If you want to eat your cube-shaped egg right away, you can. If not, you can still store it in your inventory for hungrier, more desperate times.

Other additions and changes include more GPU-related features and more general fixes. This update also brings non-graphical performance improvements and amends broken quests. From broken characters to buggy missions, Bethesda is addressing a good few of the most annoying and game-breaking problems.

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Starfield patch notes – Update 1.8.86 – Monday, November 20, 2023

If you want to take a look at the developer’s deep dive into update 1.8.86 and all of its changes, you can do so directly on Steam. Below, you’ll find the patch notes’ highlights, including additional gameplay content and bigger changes coming to Starfield with Bethesda’s latest update.

Gameplay

  • Added the ability to eat the food placed in the world.
  • Adjusted stealth to be a bit more forgiving.
  • Fixed an issue where Andreja’s head would stay permanently cloaked.
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent players from firing their weapons.
  • Fixed issues where some NPC could be seen not wearing clothes (Note: This issue may resolve itself over time).
  • Fixed an issue where already in-progress skill challenges could stop progressing after reaching the Unity and starting a new game.
  • Fixed an issue that could temporarily prevent opening the inventory or saving after entering the Unity.
  • PC: Fixed an issue where mouse movement could be choppy.
  • Fixed a rare issue that could cause the home ship to be lost.
  • Fixed an issue where the ship services technician might be missing.
  • Fixed an issue where occasionally the camera could shake incorrectly during Traveling, Grav Jumping, Docking, or Landing transitions.

Graphics

  • Addressed an issue with how ambient occlusion appeared in ultrawide resolutions.
  • Optimized initial shader compilation that occurs on start-up.
  • Added the ability to adjust Brightness and Contrast in the Display Settings menu.
  • Added the ability to adjust HDR Brightness provided that the system supports it. (Xbox & Windows 11 only).
  • Addressed several materials that could sometimes present an unintended pattern under certain conditions.
  • Fixed various visual issues related to the new FOV slider options.
  • Improved the appearance of the eyes on crowd characters.
  • Addressed several minor visual issues related to lighting, shadows, terrain, and vegetation.
  • PC: Addressed additional visual issues related to DLSS.

Performance and stability

  • Addressed several memory-related issues and leaks.
  • Added some GPU performance optimizations, which will be more impactful on higher-end cards.
  • Improved renderer threading model, improving CPU usage most notably on higher-end systems.
  • Various stability and performance improvements.

Quests

  • All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue where players couldn’t sit during the negotiation with Musgrove.
  • Blast Zone: Fixed an issue where the hard rocks that need to be cleared out by players will not appear on Ngodup Tate’s land.
  • Echoes of the Past: Fixed an issue where the Grylloba Queen could sometimes not be reachable during the objective “Secure the Shuttle Bay.”
  • Eye of the Storm: Fixed an issue where players’ quest progression could potentially be blocked due to a missing docking prompt.
  • Grunt Work: Addressed an issue where progress could appear blocked if “Supra et Ultra” was completed while returning to the Lodge during “High Price to Pay.”
  • No Sudden Moves: Fixed an issue that could prevent the entrance door to the Scow ship from being opened again.
  • Operation Starseed: Fixed an issue where the key that is needed to exit the facility could sometimes not be present.
  • Sabotage: Fixed an issue where David Barron could potentially not be found by players.
  • Short-Sighted: Fixed an issue where players could rarely become control-locked while speaking with Vladimir.
  • The Heart of Mars: Fixed an issue where players might not be able to mine the “The Heart of Mars.”

While you wait for your game to finish updating, have a browse through some of our favorite Starfield mods for more ways to spice up your base game for free. Alternatively, look around at a roundup of the most useful Starfield console commands and cheats if you often find yourself lost or otherwise struggling in-game. As a Sims player myself, there’s no shame in busting out the old tilde key once in a while.

Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.

For all things PC gaming, make sure to follow us on Google News where you’ll see a variety of daily PC gaming news, guides, and reviews.

Anna was an evening news writer for us, covering everything from fantasy games to farming games. When not eating pasta or writing, she spends the rest of her time playing The Sims 4, delving deep into Baldur's Gate 3 lore, tending to emerald pastures in Stardew Valley, and daydreaming about life as a druid fairy. With both a literature and medieval history degree under her belt, Anna thinks that there’s no better RPG period than the Middle Ages. Some of her previous work can be found on Dexerto, IGN, and Twinfinite.