Starfield Paid DLSS Mod Creator Hits Back at Pirates, Threatens to Add 'Hidden Mines' in Future Mods

ign.com:

Starfield is out now on Xbox Series consoles and PC, but the latest Bethesda RPG is missing a key graphics option that PC users are clamoring for. Nvidia DLSS, which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, is upscaling technology that's been a highly-requested feature for Starfield, and it was missing at launch.

While Bethesda has already revealed that DLSS support on PC is coming to Starfield sometime down the line, players who want to benefit from the better visuals now are turning to fan-made Starfield DLSS mods — and that's where some controversy lies.

Modder PureDark specializes in creating DLSS3 and DLSS2 mods, and he restricted access to his more advanced Starfield DLSS3 mod behind a $5-per-month Patreon subscription. The mod uses Digital Rights Management (DRM) to authenticate users. PureDark's less advanced DLSS2 mod is free on NexusMods.

While PureDark has been creating DLSS mods and putting them on his Patreon for years, the high-profile status of Starfield and the related mod are reigniting the controversy surrounding paid mods. Some folks believe that modders deserve to be paid for their work like a game developer, while others believe that the community-oriented nature of the modding scene means mods should be free to everyone, no matter what. In a poll we ran on our initial article about this paid mod, 68% of respondents selected that mods should always be free.

PureDark added Digital Rights Management (DRM) authentication to the mod, and the mod has already been cracked by members of the modding community. In an interview with IGN, PureDark defended the decision to put his advanced DLSS mods on Patreon, and he planted his flag in the debate over paid mods.

"It's funny that people think this is new, I've been