Conveniently timed following the release of the Fallout TV show, Bethesda has announced that its most recent mainline Fallout game, Fallout 4, will be getting a free next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
According to a post on the official Fallout blog on Thursday, console players will finally get a next-gen version of the 2015 game in a native application, which will allow them to play it at up to 60 frames per second when the update goes live on April 25. There will also be quality and performance modes that will allow players to choose between a higher resolution or higher frame rate. If players have the game on older consoles, they’ll still receive an update with stability improvements and other fixes.
PC players will also get a free update with next-gen features, including ultrawide monitor support. Plus, interested players can now get Fallout 4 on the Epic Games Store. And for those who have always wanted to play it on the go, the game will be Steam Deck verified.
In addition to next-gen quality of life features, Fallout 4 is also receiving new content, including a quest that features the Enclave, along with Enclave-specific character and weapon skins, that originated in the Creation Club. There’s also the new Makeshift Weapon Pack, which allows players to use random objects, like a piggy bank, as weapons, along with Halloween-themed decorations for your Boston-based settlements.
This Fallout 4 update has been a long time coming. Skyrim, originally released in 2011, received its next-gen update on the 10th anniversary of its release, and for a while there was little word on if something similar would be coming to the Fallout series. While Bethesda announced that a next-gen release was in the works in 2022 as part of the series’ 25th anniversary, it was later delayed to 2024.
The Fallout series has been on a lot of people’s minds lately thanks to the Fallout TV show, which debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday. While it isn’t a direct adaptation of any of the games, it features characters, factions, and worldbuilding that Fallout fans will be familiar with. While the next-gen update won’t be out for two weeks, that gives fans plenty of time to watch the show before hopping back into the game.
However, if you want to play some Fallout now there are other options. Bethesda previously announced that Fallout 76 is 80% off for the standard edition and 67% off for the deluxe edition, and is temporarily free to play. Xbox players can hop on from April 9-19; PlayStation users can play from April 10-24; Steam players can play for free starting April 11-19. Elements from the TV show have also been added to Fallout Shelter.