Like most Bethesda games, Starfield has not launched in the most stable state, with many players reporting crashes and freezes. The Xbox version of the game is more optimized in these matters, but the PC and Game Pass versions are known to suffer from these problems.
There are only a few things that have been officially addressed as of yet. If you are still facing issues, don’t worry we have compiled a list of fixes you can try to solve your performance issues.
Starfield crashing and freezing fix and workarounds
Multiple fixes for Starfield reduce the frequency of crashes and freezes. These cover creating exceptions in your Firewall, driver updates, and in-game setting updates.
Allow Starfield through your Antivirus and Firewall block
Not allowing Starfield to bypass your Antivirus or Firewall may be why your game can crash. To enable this, open the Windows Security panel from the pop-up menu on the right side of the taskbar. Enable Starfield to bypass Windows security measures.
For the firewall bypass, open the Control Panel and search for the firewall application using the search bar on the top right corner of the screen. Select the “Allow an app through the Windows firewall” option to allow Starfield to bypass the firewall.
Update GPU driver
GPU drivers often optimize their performance based on a specific game’s release. Update your drivers to ensure you are getting the best performance. You will receive a notification whenever a new driver is available. If you do not, check the GPU manufacturer’s website for a new driver.
If your GPU is not updated, you may miss out on potentially better performance. To update your GPU driver, head to the bottom right portion of your task bat and pull up the GPU tray. In most cases, you can update your driver directly from here. Additionally, you can open the Device Manager and search for your GPU to update it manually.
For NVidia users, make sure ReBAR support is enabled for better game performance. It is active by default for drivers after 537.34. If you don’t have the latest one, download NVidiaProfileInspector and enable ReBAR. Adjust ReBAR Options to 000001 (BF V, etc) and Rebar Size to 00000400000 (BF V, etc)
Optimize CPU performance
Starfield is a very CPU-demanding game, which if not optimized, can in turn cause it to crash or freeze for most players. This works for Starfield crashes on a good or normal PC that you should try if other solutions are not working.
Download a CPU limiter like the Battle Encoder Shirase. Click on Target after opening the application and choose Starfield.exe from the files. Make sure the game is running at the time of doing this. Then set the slider to -8%. This is what works for most devices but you can turn it lower or higher depending on if you experience crashes again.
XMP adjustment in BIOS
XMP helps optimize your RAM, boosting your device’s operating speed. Depending on its current state, it can affect your game’s performance.
To adjust XMP, enter BIOS and open Memory settings. It can have a different name depending on your device so check other folders if you can’t find it.
Select the XMP file (which can also be Memory Profile) and switch the current setting, Enabled or Disabled. Save, restart your device, and launch Starfield again. It should be working fine now.
Reinstall the game
Sometimes a corrupted file can become part of your game files, causing Starfield to crash. Reinstalling the game will clear out system files and cache, potentially removing the corrupted file as well. You can do this by choosing to “Uninstall the program” from the Control Panel.
Verify File Integrity
While on the topic of corrupted files, there is a simpler way to check if you have any problematic files affecting the game. Right-click on Starfield, choose Properties, and select Scan and Fix Files. Your device will go through the files and it may take some time to check the entire installation directory. It can also fix or remove the corrupted files by itself so it’s worth looking into.
Install Visual C++
Most games these days use the Visual C++ packages released by Microsoft for Windows. In most cases, you will receive a prompt to install them while you are in the process of installing your game. These packages need to be updated to cater to the latest games. Starfield is no exception to this. To ensure your packages are correct and up to date, head to the official Microsoft website and get it there.
And make sure your Visual C++ library is up to date. Select the packages that correspond to your operating system and download them. This is one of the most common reasons Starfield can freeze while playing it.
Update DirectX
Another easy fix for crashes and freezes on Starfield is to update DirectX. DirectX allows your applications to work directly with your graphics card and other PC components. Since Starfield uses DirectX, updating it is pivotal for better performance.
To do this, open the update window of your computer and select the “check for update” option. DirectX is usually updated with every Windows update. Alternatively, you can head to Microsoft’s website and download DirectX directly from there.
Close Background Programs/Processes
Ensure that every other non-important application is closed, as having these applications open increases CPU and RAM usage. This ultimately reduces the amount of overhead available for the game. Open the Task Manager on your Windows PC by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-clicking on the taskbar.
Now, manually close all open programs that may affect your game’s performance. You will see CPU and RAM usage drop, making more of it available for your game. Playing the game after this should decrease crashes and freezing. The worst offenders include your web browsers, particularly if you have a lot of tabs open.
Install the Game on an SSD
Starfield is a massive game with tons of detail and many objects in your immediate vicinity. On the Xbox series consoles, the game uses Microsoft’s high-speed Velocity Architecture to load the game in seconds. But on the PC, the game uses whatever storage device you have.
If you use an HDD, you may encounter freezes and crashes in Starfield. It may be worth installing the game on a faster SSD to prevent it from freezing. The faster output of the SSD may allow your game to load more seamlessly. It will likely mitigate instances of freezing.
Lower Graphics Options
If all else fails, consider lowering graphics settings to prevent freezes and crashes in Starfield. Open the video setting options and start tinkering with the performance settings until you find a sweet spot.
While some may need visual quality, crashing and freezing completely removes you from the game. Also, consider enabling the Dynamic Resolution Scaler.
Disable Overlays
Starfield is an extremely demanding game so Overlays from other apps like Steam or Discord can take up resources needed for it to run smoothly. This can make the frame rate drop causing the game to crash or freeze.
You can turn them off in their respective settings. For Steam, you will find it under the In-Game tab of Account Settings. For Discord, click on the gear icon, go to Game Overlay, and then toggle it off.
Run Starfield as administrator
You may find Starfield crashing due to a lack of administrative privileges. They allow the game to adjust your computer according to its needs so the game can launch properly. Since you will be accessing it through Steam on PC, you need to first make it admin.
Right-click on Steam, open Properties and select Compatibility menu. Check the Run as administrator box and click Apply and OK to close. Now launch Starfield as administrator to see if the problem resolves itself.
If you are not using the latest Windows, check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” while altering Steam’s Properties. Then select the version you are using to make sure the fix works for your device.
Use DLSS Support Mod
The last solution is to use a DLSS Support Mod if Starfield is freezing or crashing. It allows you to run the game on a lower resolution without compromising too much on the details.
It also improves image quality in our opinion and reduces the stress on your device. The best one we have found is the FSR2 Bridge which replaces the FSR2 with DLSS or XESS. It functions without breaking other systems like Steam Overlays, which makes it quite dependable.
