Fallout 4's major next-gen update adds 60 FPS support and a ton of new content — and it finally has a release date

 A character in a vault suit with a leaf blower mini gun hybrid hides around the corner of a garage in Fallout 4.
A character in a vault suit with a leaf blower mini gun hybrid hides around the corner of a garage in Fallout 4.

Uranium hot on the heels of the Fallout TV show on Prime Video, Bethesda has finally announced a release date for the long-awaited next-gen update to Fallout 4. The patch will arrive on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S on April 25.

Bethesda originally announced the patch way back in 2022 as part of the gamemaker's 25th-anniversary celebration for the Fallout series, with a rollout set for 2023. As 2023 came and went, that launch window was pushed to 2024, and now we have a firm release date: The free upgrade for Fallout 4 rolls out on April 25.

This patch is primarily geared toward bringing Bethesda's post-apocalyptic open-world role-playing game to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, adding native applications for the consoles, Performance mode and Quality mode settings, and 60 fps gameplay. But previous-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will also receive an update with stability improvements, login and quest fixes.

On PC, the update will add widescreen and ultra-widescreen support along with fixes to the Creation Kit and a variety of quest updates, Bethesda announced this week. As a huge Steam Deck fan, I was most excited to see that Fallout 4 is going to be Steam Deck verified with the latest patch. It's currently listed as "playable" on Steam's handheld gaming device, one level below "verified," which indicates that players may run into the occasional issue or need to make some manual tweaks to run the game. Fallout 4 will also be released on the Epic Games Store.

New Enclave quest, Halloween decor, and more

As part of the update, Bethesda also announced a slew of additional content set to roll out for Fallout 4.

This includes several free Creation Club items themed to the Enclave, the pre-war fascist paramilitary organization players will remember from Fallout 2 and 3, like new weapon and armor skins, the Tesla Cannon, Hellfire and X-02 power armor, and the heavy incinerator. If you're itching to crawl out through the fallout once more, Bethesda's also adding a new quest called "Echoes of the Past" where players fight to stop the Enclave from establishing a foothold in the Commonwealth.

A new Makeshift Weapon Pack adds a baseball launcher, nail gun, piggy bank, and more unconventional objects turned into deadly weapons. Dozens of new Halloween decorations for your settlement, including witches, cauldrons, and ghouls, are also on the way.

The Fallout 4 next-gen update goes live on April 25 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as on PC on Steam, GOG, the Microsoft Store, and the Epic Games Store.

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