New Starfield Update 1.7.33 patch fixes the game's wildest glitches, and I'm kinda sad

Starfield
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • Bethesda has released Update 1.7.33 for Starfield, and the patch is now available to download on Xbox Series X|S, the Microsoft Store, and Steam.
  • The update fixes a number of gameplay-related glitches while making several performance, stability, and graphics improvements.
  • Notably, the glitch that allowed players to claim space stations as owned ships has been fixed.
  • The famous "Akila City puddle glitch" has been fixed as well. Prior to this update, players could use it to steal everything in a vendor's inventory for free and then sell the items back to them.

About two weeks after the arrival of Starfield's first hotfix update on Sept. 13, Bethesda's new sci-fi RPG has once again gotten a patch. The new update addresses a number of performance and graphics-related issues, and also fixes some big gameplay bugs. It's available to download now on Xbox Series X|S, the Microsoft Store, and Steam.

By far, what stands out the most about this update is the resolution of some of the funniest — and most useful — Starfield glitches. Specifically, a bug that allowed players to own space stations like The Den or The Key as personal starships has been fixed, and the famous "puddle glitch" that gave full access to Akila City vendor inventories through seams in the ground has been patched, too. RIP.

I completely understand why Bethesda fixed these issues, of course. The former has the potential to cause...serious problems, and by abusing the latter, you could get huge amounts of quality loot for free, then sell it back to the vendors you robbed blind for tons of credits. Even so, it's a bummer that the community didn't get much time to play around with these bugs before they got the axe.

Prior to this patch, several players somehow managed to claim ownership of space stations like The Key. (Image credit: u/VeganSatan666420 on Reddit)

Simply not updating the game is an option, but by doing so, you'd lose out on the update's performance and stability improvements. Also, Bethesda plans to add highly requested features like an FOV slider, a button to quickly eat food you find, and official DLSS support in future patches, so players will want to update eventually. Much of what's coming can be added to the PC version of the game with the best Starfield mods, but Xbox players don't have this option yet.

Other notable parts of the update include fixes for graphics issues with lens flares on AMD GPUs and blurry upscaled textures, as well as photosensitivity problems that could occur when players quickly scrolled through their inventory. Steps have been taken to reduce hitching, freezing, and crashing as well, and glitches that caused displayed or stored items on ships to disappear were fixed, too.

In the section below, we've listed the full Update 1.7.33 patch notes for convenient reading. Make sure you look through them to see everything that's been addressed or changed.

Starfield is finally here, and it's undoubtedly one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for lovers of space exploration, deep RPG gameplay, and the sci-fi genre as a whole. 

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Starfield Update 1.7.33 patch notes

(Image credit: Windows Central)

Here are the full Starfield Update 1.7.33 patch notes, taken directly from Bethesda's website.

GENERAL

  • Characters: Fixed an issue that could cause some characters to not be in their proper location.
  • Star Stations: Fixed an issue where Star Stations would be labeled as a player-owned ship.
  • Vendors: Addressed an issue that allowed for a vendor’s full inventory to be accessible.

GRAPHICS

  • AMD (PC): Resolved an issue that caused star lens flares not to appear correctly AMD GPUs.
  • Graphics: Addressed an upscaling issue that could cause textures to become blurry.
  • Graphics: Resolved an issue that could cause photosensitivity issues when scrolling through the inventory menu.

PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY

  • Hand Scanner: Addressed an issue where the Hand Scanner caused hitching.
  • Various stability and performance improvements to address crashing and freezes.

SHIPS

  • Displays: Fixed an issue that would cause displayed items to disappear when applied to in-ship mannequins.
  • Displays: Fixed an issue that would cause items stored in Razorleaf Storage Containers and Weapon Racks to disappear after commandeering another ship.
Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.