Best Starfield Mods to Improve Performance, Gameplay and Graphics

From visual overhauls to shipbuilding perfection: mods every Starfield player needs.

By Ali Usama

If you’ve been cruising through the vastness of space and thought, “This could be smoother,” or “Why’s everything so green-ish?”, read out this post. We’ve discovered a handful of the best Starfield mods that will greatly improve your galactic travels.

Although there are a lot of different mods you can find on the internet, the ones we’ve got for you are the real MVPs at the moment. Of course, everyone’s got their flavor, but we’ve handpicked ones that’ll level up your whole playthrough vibe and even let you leave some of the draggy parts of the storyline.

How to Install Starfield Mods

You’ve got two paths ahead there:

  1. The “I-want-it-easy” route: Download the Vortex installer from Nexus and let it do the heavy lifting.
  2. The “I-got-this” path: Roll up your sleeves and install them manually. Sure, it’s a bit hands-on, but it’s a labor of love.

Remember, most of these mods vibe best with the Steam version of Starfield. If you’re on Game Pass, keep an eye out, as some mods might need a bit of extra love to play nice. And for my achievement hunters out there: some Starfield mods might put those shiny badges to sleep. But don’t worry, there’s a mod to keep those achievements safe even when you’re modded up.

Last pro tip: Before you dive in, back up those saves! In the Wild West of modding, things can get a bit messy. Remember, if things go sideways, you can always hit the reset button by reinstalling the game. But you don’t want Captain “You-from-10-hours-ago” to vanish into the void.

Best Starfield Mods to Enhance Performance, Gameplay and Visuals

Starfield Mods on Nexus Site
Photo by Nexus

If you’re looking to zap those laggy moments or just want the game to run as smooth as butter on a hot skillet, here are some mods that’ll put some pep in your spaceship’s step.

Starfield Performance Optimizations

If Starfield’s feeling a bit heavy on your rig, this mod is like a magical performance-enhancing space potion. It’ll give your CPU a breather, supercharge your FPS, and even has a secret smooth mode for ultra-low settings. Depending on your gear, you could be looking at a decent boost in your graphics card numbers. If your GPU’s the weak link, this is your saving grace. But if your CPU’s the slacker, this might not be a game-changer.

Get this mode here!

Starfield Upscaler – DLSS or XeSS Options

First, install the Upscaler Base Plugin on your system – think of it as the key that unlocks the vault. Once you’ve got that, this mod lets you swap out FSR2 with the sleek DLSS/XeSS. Just a little heads-up: if you’re rocking an RTX card, you’re golden for DLSS/DLAA. But if not, XeSS has got your back, though you might not notice a big difference compared to FSR2. Don’t forget to snag the necessary DLSS/FSR2/XeSS dlls from their hangouts for the base plugin to do its magic.

Get this mode here!

Betting Walking and Jogging Speed

Feel like your character’s got two left feet? This mod adjusts the pace, making walking brisker and jogging a bit more chill. It does require a tool called Autohotkey, and even the mod producer admits it’s a band-aid solution. But if you’re itching for a speed tweak, it’s worth a shot.

Get this mode here!

Easy Speech in Starfield

Want to be the smoothest talker in the galaxy? This mod guarantees you’ll always come out on top in NPC chats. Go on and charm the space boots off everyone.

Get this mode here!

Starfield Easy Lockpick

Let’s be honest, that lockpicking mini-game? Sometimes it’s more pesky than fun. With this mod, you can breeze through those locks. Just place a pin, and voila! Still, if you fancy boosting your lockpicking skills the OG way, you can use some neat Starfield console commands.

Get this mode here!

Less Spongy Enemies

Tired of enemies that just won’t go down? This mod’s your hero. It rejigs enemy health so you’re not pumping a gazillion bullets into foes that, honestly, shouldn’t be that tough. It’s a more realistic (well, as realistic as space adventures get) approach to combat.

Get this mode here!

Remove All Starfield Intros

If you don’t have enough patience to see all the intro and early animations, this mod is designed for you. Ditch all those logos and startup animations, and jump straight into the action. Because who wants to sit through credits when there’s a galaxy waiting to be explored?

Get this mode here!

Starfield’s No Color Filter

This mod is basically like giving Starfield a pair of non-tinted sunglasses. It strips away that weird greenish filter, letting you see the universe in all its unaltered glory. There’s a bit of ini file tech involved in the setup, and depending on whether you’re a Game Pass or Steam adventurer, the steps can vary. But, if that green tint’s been bugging you, this one’s totally worth the effort.

Get this mode here!

Starfield FOV

With this Starfield mode, you can expand your field of vision with a custom ini to enjoy a broader view of the great beyond, both in first and third-person. But a word of caution: cranking it up to the max might get wonky for many players, so maybe don’t go full space-madness with it.

Get this mode here!

Starfield UI Inventory

If you’ve ever thought, “Man, this UI could use a glow-up,” you’re a fortunate one. One mod offers a cleaner, more organized inventory, laying out all the essentials right at your fingertips. Another tweak is your on-screen HUD, shrinking it down so it’s less “in-your-face” and more “subtly informative.”

Get this mode here!

Shipbuilder Tolerance Tweaks

Ever tried to fit two ship parts together and thought, “Come on, just a smidge more overlap, please?” Well, this mod is the right option for you. It boosts the overlap tolerance, allowing you that teeny bit of extra room to snugly fit those parts.

Get this mode here!