Nothing can break the buzz for an upcoming game like error codes, and it seems like Starfield is causing some issues for players on Steam. Here’s how to fix “graphics card does not meet minimum requirements” on Steam for Starfield.
How to Fix Steam Error “Graphics Card Does Not Meet Minimum Requirements” for Starfield
The first thing that you’ll want to do is verify your game files. Something may have gotten messed up during the installation, and this quick fix may get you into the game faster than you expected. If this doesn’t work, however, there is another option that will get you back into the game.
How to Access Windows Updates
Funny enough, this method doesn’t involve Steam at all. You’ll need to access your Windows Updates and push through the latest update. If you see an update come through with the title 22H2, you’ll want to push that through as soon as possible and wait for Windows to finish installing the update. To access your Windows update, follow these simple steps:
- Open Start Menu.
- Search Check for Updates in the bar.
- Click Check for Updates.
- Once the update appears, click Download & Install the Windows Update.
- Wait for the process to complete.
- Open Steam.
- Click Play on Starfield.
There you go; you should be ready to go. Now, as long as you can avoid the pesky Character Creator crash on PC, you’ll be ready to start exploring the Galaxy before you.
It may also be worth to give your graphics drivers an update. Some players are reporting that this error no longer persists after downloading the latest graphics drivers for their system.
Updating Graphics Card Drivers for Starfield Performance
Updating your graphics cards can drastically improve performance. Often, when there are performance issues, checking to see if your graphics drivers are updated should be the very first step. You can easily do that with the following steps.
- Click Start.
- Type in “Device Manager” and click open.
- Go to “Display adapters.”
- Click your graphics card.
- Go to the “Driver” tab, then click “Update Driver.”
- Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
You can find drivers on the official websites for either Nvidia or AMD. Here are a few driver pages for popular graphics cards.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060.
- AMD Radeon Series Graphics Auto-Detect Drivers software.
- NVIDIA GeForce Experience Auto-Detect software.
Minimum System Requirements for Starfield
Here are the minimum system requirements necessary to run Starfield:
- OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (10.0.19043).
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti.
- DirectX: Version 12.
- Storage: 125 GB available space.
- Additional Notes: SSD Required.
Recommended System Requirements for Starfield
Here are the recommended system requirements for running Starfield:
- OS: Windows 10/11 with updates.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080.
- DirectX: Version 12.
- Network: Broadband Internet connection.
- Storage: 125 GB available space.
- Additional Notes: SSD Required.
Tips for Improving Starfield Performance
If your GPU is below the recommended specs, there are some tricks you can employ to get a bit more FPS boost out of your card:
- Keep your background tasks minimized—other applications, browser tabs, and so on hog resources, slowing the game down for low-end components.
- Adjust your in-game graphics, especially lighting and shadows. These settings are often the most demanding.
- Turn off dynamic resolution.
- Put Starfield on an SSD.
No matter if this is your first Bethesda experience or if you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, it seems that Starfield has plenty to offer. Be sure to check out our section below to get your hands on plenty of tips and tricks that can help you become the best explorer in the world before you.
