Starfield mod brings seamless planet takeoffs three years after launch — landings still a long shot

A modder named 0xBobby has released Seamless Planet Takeoffs SFSE, a beta mod for the PC version of Starfield that removes the loading screen when departing a planet's surface. Instead of the usual cut to a third-person exterior shot, you stay in the cockpit and watch the atmosphere peel away as your ship climbs into orbit — much closer to the No Man's Sky experience players have been asking for since day one.

The mod works by spawning your ship above the landing site and replicating the view to mask the engine's cell transition rather than eliminating it outright. 0xBobby is upfront about the limitation: "The seamlessness of the transition will depend on the atmosphere and weather of the planet, I am working on making the transition even smoother." It's still in beta, so bugs are expected. As for seamless landings, 0xBobby is blunt: "It probably won't ever happen, at least not from me. Yes, I know of all of the tricks I could use, hiding the loading through clouds or entry flames etc, but even that would be way more complex than what this mod or seamless grav jumps do. Plus they don't really appeal to me — if I want seamless landings, I want the full thing, No Man's Sky-style. I may attempt that, but the chances of it happening are pretty much zero."

Starfield launched in 2023 to mixed reception, with loading screens being one of the most consistent complaints — the game's engine requires cell transitions that break immersion at nearly every major moment of spaceflight. Bethesda has made some improvements since launch, including letting players fly between planets within the same solar system, but the takeoff and landing cuts remained. The modding community has been filling gaps ever since, and this is one of the more visible attempts to patch over a structural engine limitation rather than just add content.

Bethesda confirmed last week that Starfield "remains an important part of our future," with the long-awaited Starborn DLC now targeting a 2027 release alongside continued Creation Club mod drops for PC and console. The mod is available now on Nexus Mods for anyone willing to deal with beta-level roughness.