Fallout 4 gets a massive update — here's what's new on PC, PS5, and Xbox

Fallout 4
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Fallout 4 is set to receive an update for current-gen platforms like PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC today, bringing improvements to graphics, stability, and more. The update is expected to go live at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET / 5 pm GMT. 

This comes only a few weeks after the launch of the smash-hit Fallout TV show and coincides nicely with the franchise's biggest games (Fallout 76, Fallout New Vegas, and Fallout 3) all appearing for free on Amazon Prime Gaming to celebrate the show's launch.

The Fallout franchise has seen a massive resurgence in popularity since the TV show launched, with the previously panned Fallout 76 managing its highest player count and all-time peak on Steam with 72,930 players.

This influx of players has seen Fallout 76 become one of gaming's great comeback stories in recent years—inviting newcomers to the Appalachian wasteland and welcoming back veteran vault-dwellers to Bethesda's expansive West Virginian open world, which has seen considerable changes and improvements since its rocky mountain launch in 2018.

Bethesda's Fallout 4 update could well capitalize on this popularity spike and see Fallout 4 enjoy a similar revival with many players expected to return to the Commonwealth once more to enjoy this franchise's particular brand of post-apocalyptic hi-jinx.

So what changes are in store for vault-dwellers when they return to the ruins of Boston? Let's find out.

What's coming to Fallout 4's next-gen update?

Most of the changes in today's update will vary by platform. For example, while PC users are receiving widescreen support for 21:9 or 32:9 gaming monitors, Fallout 4 will now be Steam Deck verified, which means it should work excellently on both Valve's handheld console and handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go

Bethesda's Fallout 4 will also be available on Epic Games Store, adding to the already expansive list of game retailers supplying copies of the game such as Bethesda.net, Steam, Microsoft Store, and GOG. PC players will get a slew of fixes for both mods and bugs, with stability patches coming.

On Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles, the game will receive a Performance mode option that aims to deliver silky-smooth 60 frames per second gameplay and a Quality mode option that unlocks a crisp 4K resolution. Players can also expect stability fixes and bug patches for login issues and certain quests.

For all platforms, new content is coming to Fallout 4 in the form of Creation Club items. This includes a new "Echoes of the Past" quest line where players must fight against a mysterious cult spreading a "Dangerous ideology."

This quest line includes rewards such as Enclave Weapon and Armor Skins, a Tesla Cannon, Hellfire Power Armor, X-02 Power Armor, the Heavy Incinerator, and a Makeshift Weapon Pack—not forgetting the additional 38 Halloween decorations you'll unlock for use in your Commonwealth settlements.

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Momo Tabari
Contributing Writer

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Momo finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Momo is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.