The first update for Starfield in 2024 was made available via Steam Beta earlier this week. Along with a ton of graphics enhancements and bug fixes, gamers are finally realizing how radical the lighting update was that was included in the patch.
User TERAB1T posted a side-by-side comparison of the same Starfield NPC before and after the latest beta version on the Starfield subreddit. It really is a night-and-day change. The NPC in version 1.8.88 is shown on the left side of the film, with lighting so poor that it appears as though a spotlight is shining straight above their heads. The 1.9.47 beta version, which features significantly more natural lighting on the NPC, is then shown on the right-hand side of the movie.
Though others think more work has to be done, the transformation is impressive and much needed. Although there are still occasional flickers, overall the illumination is considerably better. Diminished effect of the spotlight. “Caves still smell bad,” posted Redditor WildOscar66. RutabagaEfficient, a different Reddit member, commented, “They need to completely take out the nasty filter that makes everything more bland.”
What’s new in the 1.9.47 version of Starfield?
More specifically, the official patch notes mention the following fixes in relation to the lighting changes:
- Enhanced lighting in the menu for character creation.
- Fixed sporadic problems with lighting transitions while loading or leaving a place.
- When arriving on a planet, the initial illumination conditions are fixed.
- 73 sites have better illumination.
The list of other new features in the update is really lengthy. Regretfully, gamers won’t be able to experience any new content this time around, but there are a ton of bug improvements that should improve your time spent among the stars. Animations, opponents and animals, crew and allies, graphics, outposts, powers, quests, ships, abilities, weapons, and a few more things have all been fixed or improved. To learn more, visit the Bethesda website and look through the entire list.
The upgrade is only accessible on Steam in beta for now. Xbox gamers will have to wait until the end of the month for the update to officially appear before they can check it out.
