Update: It's now being reported that Fallout 4's Quality Mode on Xbox Series X|S isn't working properly at the moment, and the game is defaulting to Performance Mode without telling the player. That explains the 60 frames per-second footage you see in the video above, and hopefully the Quality Mode will provide more visual improvements as well.
Original story: The free Fallout 4 next-gen update is out now on Xbox Series X and S (along with PS5 and a special update for PC), and we've spent the past couple of hours giving it test on Series X and comparing it to the old version.
You can see our very provisional results in the video above, and to be honest, there are barely any visual differences whatsoever. The FPS is notably better in the "Quality Mode" Xbox Series X version (in fact, we think it's running at 60FPS rather than Bethesda's intended 30/40FPS), and the shadows and overall lighting seem to be a little bit better, but ultimately, viewing them side-by-side still makes it difficult to tell either version apart!
We should note that the Xbox One version you see in the video is still being played on Xbox Series X (with FPS Boost turned off), so we get the benefit of all the Xbox One X enhancements that were added to the title back in 2017. Still, the takeaway here is that Fallout 4's next-gen version isn't an extensive visual remaster compared to the original.
And that's OK, because the big focus is in the FPS and resolution department. Despite what Bethesda says, Fallout 4 appears to be running at a smooth 60FPS across all Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S modes right now, and the Quality Mode is apparently rendered in 4K on Series X with no dynamic resolution adjustments required.
How are you finding the Fallout 4 next-gen update on Xbox so far? We'd love to hear from you down below.
Comments 36
Other than the fact that it seems to run better I don't see a difference in the two versions. After the update I deleted my game and just downloaded the series x version cause I thought I was running the wrong version.
Was it ever sold as a big visual enhancement? I thought it was just a frame rate and resolution bump.
Next Gen! LOL, what a joke.
Waste of resource as most of these things are on all consoles.
Why we all sit here for years waiting for some new big top quality AAA games to appear.
This has be the lowest year of gaming I can ever remember
Still long loading screens guess it's the crappy Creation engine as the loading screens are in Starfield also.
Tax return in hand, yet still more reason to not "upgrade" to this generation.
Are you sure you installed the update, guys? xD
What is this!
It's not like Starfield looks next Gen either. The creation engine is looking like a dinosaur.
Well I didn't expect anything else....only reason I am returning is the load times with my renewed interest from the series
@OldGamer999
Considering 2023 was one of the best years for gaming I can remember, I am not complaining. It’s very rare you get one banger year after another after another. And this year has plenty of good games on the horizon.
@RIghteousNixon
Yes 2023 was only sort of good for me, Nintendo rescued 2023 for me overall.
2024 I’m not sure, nothing has released so far that’s got me really excited and I don’t think much will this year.
Sony won’t as they already said that.
Nintendo won’t, saving it for switch 2 for 2025
Xbox, you never can tell as they missed the beat as a top AAA game with Redfall, Starfield and Forza really. I don’t think since Forza Horizon 5 they have had that top end AAA game wise.
Hi fi rush was sweet but short overall.
Let’s see what Avowed and Indy turn out like.
For me on series s it's a big difference sorry for anyone it's not but I'm chuffed how it looks was only on it the night before and the lighting effects and resolution is much better can't ask much more than that I'm happy with what we got
Some people are saying the Xbox version is bugged and stays in Performance Mode no matter what.
If this is true, Microsoft really needs to get stuff sorted out with its developers! This would be the second recent multi-console release that ended up working "correctly" on PlayStation and is bugged on Xbox.
If Microsoft really wants to restore good will with people, make sure the first-party games work correctly on its own system!
@OldGamer999
Even if many of the games weren’t for you, you have to recognize what an outstanding year for gaming it was. You had Zelda, Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Street Fighter 6, Jedi Survivor, Hi-Fi Rush, Baldurs Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, Lies of P, Resident Evil 4 remake, Dead Space remake, Cocoon, Sea of Stars, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and the list really goes on and on. There was something for everyone last year. Big AAA bangers, great indies, great AA games. It had it all.
And Starfield was definitely still a top tier AAA for me. It had some design choices that a lot of people didn’t like, but it was a Bethesda game through and through and it had the best story for a Bethesda game to date imo. I wasnt bothered too much by some of the stuff other people were. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. And it’s still sitting at an 83 on Metacritic. That’s still considered a great game.
The worst part is that most mods are broken. I can’t even find workshop framework even with the search bar and that’s one of the most important mods there is.
Edit: actually I found it but it was a pain. It’s at the very end of the featured category and you gotta scroll all the way through
@GamingFan4Lyf I’ve tried on PlayStation and quality mode is definitely 30fps and it does look different to performance.
Performance mode should be 60fps @ standard settings.
Quality 30fps @ ultra.
By my eye that’s what you’re getting on ps5 at least.
@RIghteousNixon @OldGamer999 I feel like there have been some incredible games released so far. Any of these sound appealing? Because I think they’re all great fun: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tekken 8, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Gran Blue Fantasy: ReLink, Persona 3 Reload, Helldivers 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord, Dragons Dogma 2, Freedom Planet 2. I haven’t tried the new Princess Peach but that also looks like a great time.
@Fenbops That's the reports I have been seeing that PS5 is properly doing 4K/30 (or 40)/Ultra and Performance is 4K/60/Standard. So if you force 1440p, you should be getting 1440p/60/Ultra.
Xbox appears to be just 4K/60/Standard no matter what - though no one has mentioned if forcing 1440p works as it should on Xbox.
@RIghteousNixon Starfield felt more like Outer Worlds, small zones, than any previous BGS games.
Exploration was a huge let down, and I'm not sure how anyone could disagree.
I'd like it more if it was at least like Daggerfall as far as the "dungeons" go.
@Xbox_Dashboard probably because Renderware is literally from 1993 lol.
The reason Bethesda has kept using it is because it's oddly efficient at keeping track of huge numbers of persistent objects and every object in a Bethesda game I literally persistent. It's also very easily modded by users which is probably the main reason they have kept using it. It might not seem difficult but an engine that makes a game THAT easy to do huge overhauls on by fans is quite rare.
Bethesda used Renderware... Sorry THE CREATION! Engine for the final time with Starfield. They have been working with idtech and Microsoft on a new engine basically since Fallout 4 released but something that can meet their needs takes quite a lot of time to create.
They need something that maintains object persistence basically like an MMO server but without the server, visually appealing, fast to load assets and data, easily and highly moddable though the benefit of that to them isn't just sales, it also means development itself is (or should be) easier and the toolset the artists , designers and everyone uses will be very mature by the time they need them to be for TES6.
I had hoped Skyrim was the last game to use that engine... Honestly I had hoped Oblivion would be but that was wishful thinking lol. I never expected it would be in a game released in 2023 though.
As for this update... It's gotta change a decent amount of stuff since it's 14 gigs. That kinda heft has a cause although it's understandable that it may not be very obvious. The point of this update wasn't really to remaster F4 or make it look modern .. that's what mods are for. The point was to get it running better on current consoles and also update the code base basically for Win11/12 as dx12u and the ever marching progress of GPU's. It causes some pain in mods like a script extender until they update it but considering it likely extended the life of the game by 15 years in terms of compatibility... It was probably worth it even if its not a super deep change
@d0x3601 Creation Engine is Gamebryo-based. I mean, it's no better as it's been unused now for almost a decade (except for Creation Engine, that is).
I was expecting more viewing distance, and more detail in the distance. At least! And then maybe some neat lighting. About the only difference is higher fps, which will please some.
But oh well. I wasn’t planning to replay it anyway. I don’t understand how people can just keep playing the same game forever, mods or not.
@OldGamer999 maybe you should play things that aren’t “AAA”. Budget means nothing. It often just means bland.
@RIghteousNixon
Yeah, Starfield is my 2023 GOTY. I try to run a mission board mission every day, all still in my original starting universe.
@TheGiraffe
Yeah, I loved it. It was basically exactly what I was hoping it would be, a Bethesda game set in space. I would give it a 9 myself. Probably put about 120 hours into it to date. Story wise, it was easily Bethesdas best game to date imo.
@Telin
Sure, it was more zones than one big open world, but every other aspect of the game just screamed Bethesda and that’s a good thing in my book. Had someone sat me down with that game without knowing a thing about it or who made it, I would have pegged it for a Bethesda game right off the bat. Exploration could be better, but it didn’t bother me too much at all. I was so in love with the game that its faults, which there definitely are some, just didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the game.
Everyone keeps mentioning framerates like it's wasn't already 60 fps with fps boost for years. I just finished it last year and had a blast on series x and I fired this up and notice like no difference. I want that internal storage back and the old version if it's not noticeable. That's the one thing I wish we had that playstation does, the ability to choose the older version if the upgrade isn't worth it for us to lose that internal storage.
@RIghteousNixon
I've played about 200 hours so far, making it the best value game I've ever bought by far. I stayed in my original universe, completing the main+faction questlines, and now I try to role-play daily as a "space cop", doing mission board missions for creds and upgrading things. I'm about level 55 I think.
A gigantic next gen update just to run the game at 30fps?
This is the worst most embarrassing generation to date.
@RIghteousNixon 2023 is far from the best gaming years tf are you smoking
@TheSimulator
Never said it was the best gaming year. I said it was one of the best gaming years. There is a difference between those 2 statements. And anyone who can’t see how amazing 2023 was has crap taste in games.
I would love to hear all the years you found to be so superior to 2023. I won’t hold my breath for that response, lol.
Dumb article. There isn't supposed to be a difference. It isn't a remaster. Both modes are supposed to run at 60 fps, quality mode is just more aggressive at maintaining it.
@Kooky_Geezer These loading screens last less than 5 seconds in both games, hardly a dealbreaker.
@RIghteousNixon ok sorry if I offended you don’t track me down and hurt me
@TheSimulator
Exactly the kind of response I expected. Didn’t even name 1 other year that was better overall, let alone multiple. Instead just more nonsense. My work here is done…
@RIghteousNixon
I guess everyone loves BGS games for different reasons.
What exactly do you love about the game?
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