Starfield modder develops seamless planetary landings

Software developer Frederik Wessberg is developing a mod for the video game Starfield titled ‘Seamless Landings’ to eliminate loading screens during planetary descents. The project aims to allow players to fly from space to a planet or moon's surface in a continuous experience, a feature often compared to the game No Man’s Sky.

To achieve this, Wessberg had to completely reimplement the game's planet rendering. In the original version, planets appear as 2D textures from space, making direct landings technically impossible without a transition. The mod replaces these with 3D models that remain detailed at all altitudes. The descent includes volumetric clouds, weather effects, lightning, and polar auroras.

Players can control the landing manually or use an autopilot, which allows them to leave the cockpit and observe the descent. The mod also enables landing on water, a capability not present in the base game. Wessberg noted that the underlying loading mechanism occurs in the background while the game remains interactive. The mod is expected to be released for free on NexusMods once development is complete.