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Starfield DLSS mod: How to install DLSS in Starfield

Learn how to install the Starfield DLSS mod

The main shopping district in Neon in Starfield
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda
Hayden Hefford avatar
Guide by Hayden Hefford Former Guides Writer
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Want to know how to install the Starfield DLSS mod? Starfield does not have native DLSS support, but we can always rely on mods to make things a little better. According to RPS Hardware Editor James, Starfield DLSS mods achieves a similar framerate to its native FSR upscaling while offering sharper image quality. Depending on the mod used and your graphics card, you can even benefit from massive performance boosts.

In this guide, we'll break down how to install the Starfield DLSS mod, so that you can enhance your image quality over the native FSR upscaling technology.

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Starfield DLSS mod install guide

To install Starfield's DLSS mod, you'll of course need a Nvidia RTX graphics card. That's because DLSS is exclusive to Nvidia tech, so don't expect this to work on other graphics cards.

There are many Starfield DLSS mods available, but the two most popular come from NexusMods creator PureDark: "Starfield Upscaler - Replacing FSR2 with DLSS or XeSS", which grants DLSS2 integration, or "Starfield Upscaler FG Build", which grants DLSS3.

The major difference between these two mods is that the first, which allows you to use DLSS2, is free to download from NexusMods, while the DLSS3 mod is only available to those who subscribe to PureDark's Patreon page (the creator of these mods). DLSS3 sharpens the image, but it can also provide higher framerates thanks to its Nvidia Frame Generation tech. However, Frame Generation is only available to those using a card from the RTX 4000 series of graphics cards.

The DLSS3 mod has since been cracked, after much controversy surrounding paid mods, but we've yet to test this either through subscribing to the Patreon or downloading the cracked version.

Below, we'll explain how to install the Starfield DLSS mod that enables DLSS2:

  1. Download the UpscalerBasePlugin mod.
  2. Download the Nvidia DLSS dll pack.
  3. Download the "Starfield Upscaler - Replacing FSR2 with DLSS or XeSS" mod.
  4. Open the folder containing the third downloaded mod (Starfield Upscaler - Replacing FSR2 with DLSS or XeSS) and click "Extract All". Choose your Starfield folder as the destination (Program Files (x86) > Steam > steamapps > common > Starfield)
  5. Open the mods folder that you'll now see in the Starfield game folder. Then, open the UpscalerBasePlugin folder that you'll see.
  6. Open the folder containing the first downloaded mod (UpscalerBasePlugin). Drag the .dll file into the Starfield > mods > UpscalerBasePlugin folder that you opened in the previous step.
  7. Open the folder for the Nvidia DLSS pack that you downloaded in the second step. Get the .dll file from here, and drag it into the Starfield > mods > UpscalerBasePlugin folder.
  8. Close down the various folders and launch Starfield.
  9. At the main menu, hit the "END" key. This should open a panel in the top-left corner. Ensure that "Enable" is ticked, and that the "Upscale Type" is set to DLSS.
  10. Open the Starfield settings menu, and then select Display. Enable FSR2. Thanks to the mod, this will actually enable DLSS2.

And with that, you should have the Starfield DLSS mod working! It's a fairly simple process that'll get you a sharper image quality without too much effort, making it a no-brainer for those using a Nvidia RTX graphics card.

Starfield DLSS3 mod install guide

Thankfully, NexusMods user LukeFZ564 has uploaded a DLSS3 mod for free, meaning we can still benefit from its higher frames without needing to pay for or crack PureDark's more controversial mod.

Below, we'll explain how to install the Starfield DLSS mod that enables DLSS3:

  1. Download the Nvidia DLSS dll pack.
  2. Download the Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation dll.
  3. Download the "Starfield Frame Generation - Replacing FSR2 with DLSS-G" mod.
  4. Open the folder containing the "Starfield Frame Generation - Replacing FSR2 with DLSS-G" mod. Click "Extract All", and select your Starfield folder as the destination (Program Files (x86) > Steam > steamapps > common > Starfield).
  5. Once extracted, open the "streamline" folder that is now found in your Starfield game folder.
  6. Open the folders containing each of the Nvidia DLSS pack that you downloaded in the first and second steps. Drag the .dll files into the "streamline" folder that you just opened.
  7. Close all of the open folders and launch Starfield.
  8. In the Display Settings menu, simply turn on FSR2. With this mod installed, it will instead enable DLSS3.

As long as you have a Nvidia RTX graphics card, you'll benefit from the sharpened image quality from the DLSS. However, this mod also comes with Nvidia's Frame Generation tech that offers huge performance boosts, but that only works for those with an RTX 4000 series graphics card.

That wraps up our guide on the Starfield DLSS mod. For more, take a look at our guides on how to get rich quick in Starfield and how to level up fast in Starfield. If you're just jumping into Starfield, check out our guides on all Starfield traits and all Starfield backgrounds to plan your character. You can also use our list of the best builds in Starfield.

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