Fallout 4 released back on November 10, 2015, launching for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC. While gamers can roam the Commonwealth on newer hardware, there wasn't really a benefit to playing on next-gen systems. Now, this looks to change as Bethesda has unveiled plans to give Fallout 4 a next-gen update in 2023 as part of the celebration of Fallout's 25th anniversary. The update will be available for those who own an Xbox Series X/S, PS5, or PC, and comes with new Creation Club content, performance and quality modes allowing for 120fps and 4K play, as well as some bug fixes to make the experience a bit smoother.
While this all sounds positive initially, and many will be glad to have another chance to support Preston Garvey in his never-ending quest to help all settlements, Fallout 4's big upgrade holds more than just a few new features for fans. Specifically, it seems that the announcement of this next-gen update could give gamers some indication of what the future of Fallout holds, as well as what plans Bethesda has for the franchise in the coming years.
Why Fallout 4 Next-Gen Could be Bad News for Fans
Fallout 4 is a game that received plenty of critical praise, and it did introduce some big steps forward for Bethesda games, such as allowing a voiced protagonist. This means that giving it a next-gen upgrade certainly isn't a bad idea, and it has been seven years since it first launched, meaning that there are likely plenty of gamers who haven't yet had the chance to step out of Vault 111. However, from the announcement of Fallout 4's next-gen upgrades it seems all the more certain that Fallout 5 is a long time away.
Fans were already aware that Fallout 5's release could be coming much later than they'd first hoped, especially after Todd Howard confirmed the game wouldn't be coming until after the launch of Elder Scrolls 6. Considering Starfield, Bethesda's latest project, isn't out yet, and all fans have seen so far from The Elder Scrolls 6 is a cinematic teaser, Fallout 5 is clearly a distant project. Something that hammers home just how distant that game is though is the announcement of a next-gen update for Fallout 4, which could even indicate Bethesda might not have any new Fallout titles lined up for this console generation.
Giving an old title a fresh coat of paint doesn't exactly mean that Bethesda isn't working on anything new, but it doesn't instill confidence in a Fallout 5-related announcement coming anytime soon. This next-gen update gives Fallout fans something of a single-player experience, but it doesn't promise anything huge. Instead, it can be compared to one of the many re-releases of Skyrim, which repackaged an admittedly good experience, but also all but told gamers they wouldn't be getting the series' next entry for some time. Despite this likely being the final nail in the coffin for any hopes of a Fallout 5 release somewhere in the near future, there are some positives that the next-gen Fallout 4 update could point toward.
Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update Could Point Toward Remakes
There is a reason why Skyrim getting re-released has become a meme within the gaming community, and that is because Bethesda do just keep throwing the fifth Elder Scrolls title out there. Todd Howard has stated that one of the reasons Bethesda re-releases Skyrim so often is because people keep buying it. Even so, over the past decade it has been made clear that Skyrim is very much at the forefront of Bethesda's re-release schedule, and many doubted that other popular games from Bethesda would make their way to more modern systems.
However, with the announcement that Fallout 4 is getting a next-gen upgrade, Bethesda has finally shown fans it can focus on titles that aren't Skyrim. While the Fallout 4 next-gen upgrade isn't a full remake, it does add some important features such as allowing for 4K gameplay and 120fps, alongside adding plenty of fixes for the game's bugs. If Fallout 4 has been shown some love by Bethesda, this opens up the prospect for other titles in the franchise to make a return while the grand wait for Fallout 5 continues.
A lot of fans of the series would want a remake of Fallout: New Vegas. Releasing in 2010, Fallout: New Vegas is seen by many as the best entry in the series to date, and a modern remake of it would likely sell well due to the game's reputation. Previously, while fans were asking for a Fallout: New Vegas remake, it seemed a lot less likely due to the fact that Bethesda seemed primarily focused on Starfield and the developer of New Vegas, Obsidian, is also working on other projects.
With the announcement of Fallout 4's update, this changes slightly, as it shows that Bethesda is working on things outside its ambitious sci-fi RPG Starfield. Also, apart from the next-gen upgrade announcement for Fallout 4, an Obsidian co-founder also recently stated the company would be heavily invested in working on another Fallout game, which also seems to support the idea that remakes are not impossible.
There hasn't yet been an official announcement of a Fallout: New Vegas remake, but rumors have sporadically floated around the internet. Whether Fallout 4's next-gen upgrade means anything in regard to remakes or not remains to be seen, but it does seem that the update acts as somewhat of a peace offering for fans as they wait out any news on Fallout 5. In the meantime, there are plenty of mods for the games that players can dive into if they want to adventure the wasteland once more. One ambitious Fallout 4 mod even takes the series to London, for example.
Fallout 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.