Starfield Player Stuffs 20,000 Potatoes Into A Cockpit, Opens Door, Reveals ‘Mind-Blowing’ Physics

A Starfield player stuffed 20,000 potatoes into their ship’s cockpit for science and showed off the game’s impressive physics.

Redditor Moozipan published a clip showing what happened when they opened the door of their cockpit. We see the potatoes realistically spill onto the floor and, perhaps more impressively, move about realistically as they interact with the door as it closes.

Video game tech wizard John Linneman, of Digital Foundry, took to X to call the clip “mind-blowing”. “The fact that these objects all have physics is impressive,” Linneman added.

This is pretty mind blowing, actually. The fact that these objects all have physics is impressive. https://t.co/YAdzgrPkQs

— John Linneman (@dark1x) September 5, 2023

Starfield shoots for a stable 30 frames per second across Xbox Series X and S (an approach Bethesda Game Studios chief Todd Howard explained in an interview with IGN), but all these potatoes mashed up Starfield’s framerate. Moozipan said the game dropped below 20fps after the point the clip ends.

Bethesda games such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are well-known for their capacity for item hoarding. Skyrim players in particular are known for collecting cheese. But it looks like Bethesda upped the item physics underpinning the game, with its virtual potatoes most appeeling.

Starfield doesn’t launch proper until September 6, but its early access release has proven hugely popular on Steam and on Xbox. If you’re playing, check out IGN’s interactive Starfield map.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.