A new Starfield mod that was shared online today introduces some improvements for reflections while revealing that the game does feature a ray tracing setting.
The mod, which can be downloaded from Nexus Mods, is a modified .ini file that makes reflective surfaces take dynamic light sources into account so that the color of the reflection matches the scene. The default value of the uReflectionProbesShadowMapResolution=512 line brings minimal improvements with no performance hit, but increasing it further improves quality.
Interestingly enough, the new Starfield mod also revealed how the game does feature a ray tracing option. While turning it on doesn’t have any effect, the fact that it is there seems to suggest that Bethesda was planning to have it in at some point or even implement it in the future.
If ray tracing support is indeed coming to Starfield in the future, no one can tell at the moment, as Bethesda has yet to detail what’s in store for the game. The two patches released so far addressed only some minor issues, leaving it to the community to release an unofficial patch to fix some of the other issues still found in the game.
Starfield is now available on PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S worldwide. You can learn more about the game by checking out my review.
With an engaging story, well-developed characters and lore, and a huge amount of meaningful content, Starfield is one of Bethesda’s finest games and one of the best role-playing games released in the past few years. The lack of seamless exploration and real innovation of the typical gameplay formula from the studio are noteworthy, but those willing to forego these issues will find a reactive and sprawling sci-fi universe to lose themselves in for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours.
