Starfield is finally within our grasp, but Xbox Series S owners are wondering how the performance matches up against other platforms and if the game runs on the budget console.

The Xbox Series S is a great little console that offers a way to play next-gen games without shelling out $500 for new hardware. For many players, this will be their way of getting access to Starfield, while ordinarily not being an Xbox gamer.

But before you hit purchase, it’s worth taking a look at some early gameplay to see whether or not Starfield actually works well on Series S.

Does Starfield Run Well on Xbox Series S?

Yes, Starfield does run well on the Xbox Series S, and its performance holds up well against the Xbox Series X and PC versions of the game. Many players believe it is one of the most polished games to ever hit the console.

Starfield will run at 1440p at 30 FPS on Xbox Series S, a significant downgrade from the Series X’s 4K resolution.

However, neither console can top 30 frames per second, thanks to the game’s maximum frame lock setting, which Howard reports is necessary in order to maintain graphical fidelity across detailed, dynamic open worlds.

Various players have found that the Xbox Series S holds up well to match the frame rate performance of the Series X and only tends to dip below 30 FPS in some of the larger cities. There is really no performance drop from the Series X to the Series S.

Parris Lilly, on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, even stated to have played on Starfield on all three platforms and that each one ran as “smooth as butter.”

This means that if you are playing on the Xbox Series S, the only thing you’re missing out on is the increased graphical quality of the Xbox Series X. However, if you’re not too worried about that stuff, then the Xbox Series S is a great place to experience Starfield.

Bethesda boss Todd Howard has previously stated that most of his playtime in Starfield has been on the Series S, and “it looks great.”

Starfield key art of an astronaut against a black background with a space ship flying

Starfield Xbox Series S Gameplay

Here’s some gameplay of Starfield on Xbox Series S, which shows off once and for all how the game performs on the budget console:

Starfield Xbox Series X vs S

The only difference between Xbox Series X and S should be that Series X is able to run at 4K instead of 1440p. Both consoles will be locked to 30 FPS.

Here’s a video demonstrating Starfield gameplay on the Xbox Series X: