Fallout 4 upgrade launches to mixed response, with broken mods and bugged Xbox quality mode
As the dust settles.
Yesterday's long-awaited Fallout 4 "next-gen" update is now available to download on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S - but has so far received a mixed response from fans.
It was sadly to be expected that the update would break compatibility with a large number of Fallout 4 mods - and indeed, ahead of time, users of top modding site Nexus Mods offered advice on how to disable the patch from being automatically downloaded. The creators of Fallout 4's "DLC-sized" fan mod Fallout: London also had to delay the project's release.
Still, many players have reacted with dismay that, yes, a number of mods are currently broken, with the game's Fallout 4 Script Extender add-on not yet supported. ("I am working on an update and cannot currently offer a timeline for its availability, nor whether there will be any critical technical issues that would block an update," the mod's creator ianpatt wrote. "Do not email with questions.")
On Valve's portable Steam Deck, where the game is now officially Verified, the update removes Fallout 4's previous game launcher. That sounds a positive move, until you realise this was how Fallout 4 let you alter its graphical options. SteamDeckHQ reports that you can use a launch command ("SteamDeck=0 %command%") to return the launcher, but this is hardly ideal.
"Unfortunately, the new update doesn't fix any of the frame pacing issues the game already has, and it breaks compatibility with a lot of mods that would fix all of these issues," the site writes.
Over on Xbox Series X and S, only one of the game's two graphical options appears to be working currently. Digital Foundry's Tom Morgan was playing the patched game last night and confirmed that its 60fps Performance mode is the only option currently available. Its Quality mode, designed to sacrifice frame-rate for improved visual quality, does not switch on when toggled.
The addition of new graphical options had been flagged as one of this update's biggest draws, alongside widescreen and ultra-widescreen support on PC, fixes to Creation Kit, and a variety of quest updates. All versions of Fallout 4, including the PS4 and Xbox One originals, recieve a smattering of Creation Club items, the Makeshift Weapon Pack - adding the likes of a baseball launcher and nail gun - and the new Echoes of the Past mission, focusing on The Enclave.
Last night, Bethesda belatedly said that the Fallout 4 next-gen update would be made available to PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers - although there's no word yet on when. That's in contrast to Xbox Game Pass, where subscribers are able to access the updated version now.