Highlights
- Fallout 4’s free next-gen upgrade is finally here, but some PlayStation Plus users face an odd exclusion.
- Quality and Performance modes have been added on consoles, along with bug fixes and new content, yet the upgrade’s rollout has been plagued with issues.
- While the free upgrade is now available for PS Plus Extra and Premium members, those who got Fallout 4 through the discontinued PS Plus Collection remain unable to access it.
The Fallout 4 free next-gen upgrade is now available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, albeit with an odd exclusion. Bethesda rolled out the next-gen update on April 25 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but members of PlayStation Plus who obtained the game through the service found themselves locked out of the update, leading many to purchase Fallout 4 separately to upgrade it to the next-gen version.
First revealed in 2022 and initially slated for summer 2023, Fallout 4‘s next-gen update has been a long time coming, and it’s finally here. On consoles, the update adds Quality and Performance modes that target higher resolution and framerates respectively. There’s also a new Creation Club quest surrounding the Enclave, bug fixes, new weapon packs, and more. However, the next-gen update has broken major mods for Fallout 4 on PC, with no clear timeline for when they’ll be compatible with the new build. For many PlayStation Plus subscribers, though, the next-gen update proved to be completely unavailable.
Fallout 4 Next Gen Update Fixes a Long-Standing Softlock
For a long time, a quest glitch plagued Fallout 4 that softlocked players, but the new next gen update of the game removes this problem.
Bethesda has listened to the complaints and enabled the free next-gen update for those who added Fallout 4 to their library from PlayStation Plus Extra and above, but there’s a hitch. Fallout 4 was also in the PlayStation Plus Collection, an introductory catalog of 20 critically-acclaimed games for PlayStation Plus subscribers on PS5. The perk was discontinued in May 2023, but many PlayStation users added Fallout 4 to their libraries from the collection. For them, the next-gen update remains inaccessible.
Bethesda Has Yet to Offer a Solution for These Players
The situation is a bit muddy, and official comments from Bethesda don’t seem to offer any clarification. Responding to a query for the same, the Bethesda Support Twitter account said, “Fallout 4‘s Next-Gen Update will be available for PS+ Extra members. We do not have any information regarding PS5 Catalogue or PS+ Essentials.” So, while PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium members are now entitled to the free next-gen update for Fallout 4, those who claimed the game from either a past PlayStation Plus Essential monthly lineup or the PlayStation Plus Collection have been confusingly left out, and it’s currently unknown whether Bethesda will enable the next-gen update for them.
Although Fallout 4‘s next-gen update offers a hefty amount of improvements and additional content, especially on consoles, the rollout could’ve been managed better, considering how long it’s been in the works. Every platform has suffered issues to some degree, whether it’s mod incompatibility on PC, subscription issues on PlayStation, or performance issues on Steam Deck. Even Xbox had problems, with Fallout 4‘s Quality Mode bugged on Series X. Bethesda’s swift reaction to the PlayStation Plus issue is commendable, but with the exclusion of certain users of the service, there’s still a ways to go before Fallout 4‘s next-gen version is entirely free of trouble.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is an RPG in the Fallout series, being the fourth major installment. This time around, players are in The Commonwealth, formerly Massachusetts, in the year 2287.
- Released
- November 10, 2015
