The next Starfield update goes live on May 7 and will bring seven new features and several bug fixes to gameplay, graphics, outposts, and quests. The Starfield 1.11.33 update is already live for Steam Beta users, but will go live for all players on May 15.
Starfield May 15 update: Patch note highlights
The biggest addition coming with the update is the customization of the difficulty settings for your campaign. You’ll also be able to customize the interior of your ship in a similar way to Outposts and will get an improved surface map.
Bethesda laid out the patch notes on the Starfield subreddit and noted that some things might change compared to the Steam Beta, but any further changes should be small. They also released a video explaining the patch notes.
The video brings the revelation that the developers are working on the first land vehicle for planetary exploration in Starfield, more quests, and the “Shattered Space” DLC. No dates were announced for these additions, however, so they could be added in the next update or be pushed further down the road.
New features
The new features add a more significant change than the bug fixes; they can alter gameplay completely, or just make it more efficient than before. Here is every main feature being added with the The Starfield 1.11.33 update:
- Improved surface maps: Maps will have a new design that makes it easier to see the terrain and its details, and the icons for buildings inside a city will be visible outside the map.
- Gameplay options: Players can customize gameplay details such as enemy combat damage, Carry Capacity, Environmental Damage and Afflictions, and even Sleep Healing. This allows for some parts of the game to be easier or harder at the same time. For example, you can set Enemy Ships on hard, but leave Enemy Combat Damage on easy if you have a harder time dealing with ground combat but find space combat too easy. Each option affects XP differently, reducing or increasing the amount you generally receive.
- Extreme difficulty: The developers added a new difficulty level above Very Hard.
- Ship Interior Decoration: Developers added a Decorate Mode that allows players to fully furnish and customize the interior of your ship similarly to the Outpost Mode with furniture and decorations. Plus, there are new empty habitation modules, so you can place everything from scratch.
- New Game plus feature: You’ll be able to change your traits and appearance when going through Unity.
- Container menus more organized: Added tabs above the items list to make it more clear what container you’re getting items from, or if you’re buying or selling from your own inventory or from your ship’s.
- Dialogue camera: You can turn off the Dialogue Camera in Settings. If you turn it off, the camera won’t zoom in to the NPC’s face during conversation.
Xbox Series X Display Settings
Bethesda focused on the customization of the game’s performance on the Series X, and added more options for the Display Settings exclusive to the console. There are no changes here for PC players.
- Frame Rate Target: Players can choose between 30, 40, 60, or Uncapped frame rate on VRR displays. If you don’t have a VRR display running 120hz, you will still be able to select 30 or 60. Screen tearing may occur at times when selecting 60 on a non-VRR display.
- Prioritize option: Players can choose between prioritizing Visuals and Performance. If you wish your frame rate target to be 60 or above, you can choose Performance, losing internal resolution and detail for special effects, lighting, and crowds. Visuals mode maintains the highest resolution with all those details, but frame rates may drop.
Bug fixes
As usual. there are several bug fixes for the general performance, gameplay, graphics, outposts, and quests. There are some interesting bug fixes, such as the “Left Behind” quest in which NPCs will no longer talk about being attacked by wildlife while on lifeless planets, but most of them resolve an occasional or rare issue. You can check the whole list of bug fixes in the official patch notes.
