Starfield's first 'quality of life' post-launch update is just bug fixes with no new features

Post-launch support for Bethesda's Starfield has been quiet, with very few patches or updates, a handful of bug fixes, and the most notable quality-of-life update being the ability to eat all the space food lying around without picking it up.

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That's set to change in 2024, with the development studio confirming that players should expect major updates every six weeks or so - with several notable additions coming, like city maps, 'new ways of traveling,' official mod tools, and more. The first major update for 2024, Starfield Update 1.9.47.0, is currently playable in the Steam Beta branch, and the reception from players has been lukewarm because it is extremely light on changes to the game.

Granted, there are over 100 updates in the official Patch Notes, but most of these are related to bugs and quest fixes. Bethesda Game Studios goes so far as to state that this update would "focus on quality-of-life improvements," but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.

In fact, you could chalk up the lackluster response from players to how this sizeable update to the game focuses on fixing bugs and broken quests, which is very welcome - even if some game-breaking quest bugs are still lingering for players. So where are all of the quality-of-life updates Bethesda is talking about? This is related to improving ultrawide monitor support, lighting, shadows, and other visuals.

Seeing planetary rings as accurate shadows on the surface of a moon is great and adds to the immersion of landing on strange new worlds - however, it's a far cry from improving the UI, balancing weapons and abilities, adding the ability to save in-progress ship designs, city maps, and many more actual quality-of-life updates players want to see.

With this being the first big Starfield update for 2024, here's hoping the new one (in another six weeks) focuses more on quality-of-life updates while still bringing much-needed quest fixes.

• Read more: Bethesda reveals 'new ways of traveling' are coming to Starfield in a series of updates
• Read more: Starfield Review: The New Frontier