Want NVIDIA DLSS 2 in Starfield? A mod is already out to boost your RTX GPU's frame rates

Starfield is now out - well, not the full release, but the early access for those who bought a premium copy - and already Bethesda's space RPG has support for NVIDIA DLSS (and Intel XeSS).

As you're doubtless aware, there's been some controversy about Starfield being FSR only at launch (with AMD partnering with Bethesda here), although in theory there's no reason DLSS shouldn't come to the game eventually with an official release (as AMD itself has clarified).

However, for those who don't want to wait for a helping hand in terms of a non-FSR frame rate boost for the demanding Bethesda game, a modder has introduced DLSS (and XeSS) support right now - just as they promised.

Well, not quite exactly as they promised, because before Starfield launched, modder PureDark told us that they'd have DLSS 3 implemented (in beta) during early access, and DLSS 2 support would follow.

In fact, this first incarnation of a mod is for DLSS 2, as PureDark observed it was very easy to get this functionality up and running - at least in a basic form (this is still a beta, then).

According to the modder, DLSS 3 support will take longer, and when it's done, the mod will only be available via Patreon (paid, not free, in other words). The DLSS 2 (and XeSS) mod can be grabbed for free via Nexus Mods, though.

If you want to give it a whirl, the full installation instructions are provided with the mod.

Bear in mind that as observed in the release notes, performance gains will naturally vary, and PCs which are CPU limited may not see much of a noticeable boost. Still, this mod is better than nothing, although you download it with all the usual caveats around third-party mods (be cautious about anything that isn't an official release, of course).

Hopefully the DLSS 3 mod won't be too far behind.

Meanwhile, if it's better performance with an AMD graphics card you're looking for with Starfield, as well as FSR 2, don't forget to install the latest Adrenalin graphics driver. This makes a big difference for RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT graphics cards (for those who are running the game at 4K resolution, that is).

The Starfield review embargo has lifted, and the evaluations are pouring in, with some pretty favorable critiques, as well as some more skeptical reviews. We've got our own first impressions available, and have observed that the game runs nicely, and combat is smooth, with Starfield being impressively polished and stable for an RPG of this scope and ambition.