PlayStation fans furious as next-gen Fallout 4 leaves them to the Wasteland
They say you get nothing in life for free, and when it comes to the next-gen upgrade of Fallout 4, Bethesda is unfortunately proving it. While you might assume the 2015 game has long since retired underground to its Vault-Tec vault, it's more than just a rabid modding community keeping Fallout 4 alive.
Bethesda announced that Fallout 4 would be getting the next-gen treatment way back in December 2022, and after it slipped from its 2023 release, many worried it would never see the light of day. Thankfully, after the success of Amazon's live-action Fallout series, April 2024 seemed like the perfect time to step back into the Wasteland.
PlayStation fans furious about Fallout 4's next-gen release
PlayStation Plus subscribers have been booting up their PS5s and expecting to find this souped-up Fallout 4 ready to go, but unfortunately, this isn't the case. It looks like only those who have previously purchased Fallout 4 through the digital store or own a copy can currently access the next-gen update.
Bethesda has admitted that there's a problem with the PlayStation Plus release, meaning those who've paid for the subscription service can't access the vault. Although Bethesda has said it's working on a fix, this is a major disappointment for those who are trying out Fallout 4 for the first time or want to revisit the glossier version.
As reported by IGN, a Bethesda Softworks Community Manager has posted on the official Bethesda Discord server and confirmed the team is still working on the issue. The problems don't end there, as the game is currently available to buy for $19.99/£15.99 despite being on sale for just $5 recently.
One critic raged, "I'm in the UK with PS Plus Premium and it's not available for me. The game still shows up as £15.99. You'd think, given that PS Plus Premium is meant to be... well, premium... that the new update would be waiting there for said user free of charge."
Another grumbled, "Any ETA on when it will be fixed? I had this marked on my calendar and booked it off work 😭 fml," and a third said, "I bought the game before you tweeted this…I can't get a refund because I started it."
Someone asked whether those who'd picked up Fallout 4 through the PS Plus Collection when the PS5 launched would be getting the upgrade. This led to Bethesda admitting, "We do not have any information regarding PS5 Catalogue or PS+ Essentials."
Xbox fans aren't off the hook
While Xbox owners might think they're sitting pretty with their fancy new-gen versions, it seems the Game Pass release also has a few teething problems. Notably, Quality Mode isn't working as planned, still running at 60FPS as if it were in Performance Mode.
Digital Foundry's Thomas Morgan confirmed that Fallout 4's Xbox Series version currently doesn't activate Quality Mode, meaning we're locked out of the higher visual detail. Like the PlayStation Plus problems, we imagine Bethesda is working on a fix, but either way, Fallout 4's Power Armor seems a little rusty right now.