Throughout the Fallout series, Pip-Boys make regular appearances. They are given to the vault dwellers, used to show the health and skills of the residents. Pip-Boys are also used by every playable character in the series, as their inventory system. Because of this, players are able to become very familiar with their devices.

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Outside of practical use, there are some surprises about these useful devices. Players can learn more about the Pip-Boy through in-game terminals or by reading the art books for the series. Some players might even be surprised to learn that the Pip-Boy makes an appearance outside of the series.

10 There's A Pip-Boy Available In Team Fortress 2

A player finding the Pip-Boy in TF2

In Team Fortress 2, players can equip a Pip-Boy of their own. It became available for anyone who owned Fallout New Vegas before a certain date. The item is available only for engineers, and also gives a unique look when building items. The PDA will be replaced with a screen similar to a Pip-Boy.

The engineer's Pip-Boy also has a unique Vault Boy on it. The figure takes on the look of the engineer, still in the same iconic pose of the Vault Boy.

9 Fallout 76 Features A Customizable Pip-Boy

A pink Pip-Boy available for players

Players can customize their Pip-Boy in Fallout 76They can either buy skins through the Atomic Workshop or complete quests to earn them. The skins can either paint the Pip-Boy in an American flag, or can change the color to something basic. These options allow players to show off their personlities.

There are also faction paints, such as the Enclave or Vault-Tec. Players can show off their favorite factions as well, since some skins are earned by completing quests.

8 The Pip-Boy 2000's Original Mascot

The look of a Pip-Boy 2000

The Pip-Boy 2000 appears in Fallout and Fallout 2. The device was created for travelers, mainly used as a map. It was also a way to log what the wearer was doing. Much like the other versions of the device, wearers strapped the Pip-Boy 2000 to their wrist.

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Instead of the usual Vault Boy, a different mascot appears on this device. A boy in a yellow jumpsuit and with red hair can be seen in the top left corner. This is RobCo.'s version of the Vault Boy, whom they used for the earlier devices.

7 It Wasn't Originally Created For Vaults

Vault dwellers walking in a vault

Going off the last entry, the Pip-Boy was not originally meant for the vaults. Vault-Tec and RobCo. teamed up with each other to create the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI, which was seen in Fallout 76. This also explains why the other versions of the Pip-Boy start to include the Vault Boy.

The collaboration also explains why the devices change in appearance so much. The newer version encloses around the user's arm instead of being mounted easily.

6 It Has A Unique Operating System

A Pip-Boy 3000 being booted up

In Fallout 4, players find their first Pip-Boy after being frozen in Vault 111. The Pip-Boy takes a second to boot up, during which time players can see that it runs on a unique operating system. The version the Sole Survivor uses runs on PIP-OS V7.1.0.8, also showing the specs for the Pip-Boy.

Players can see the device can only hold 64k of onboard memory, with an extra 38,911 bytes free after system initialization. The operating system can also integrate with power armor, as shown when a player enters power armor.

5 An Early Prototype Appears In Fallout 4 Materials

The Pip-Boy 1 seen in promotional material

In the Fallout 4 intro, players can see what the first Pip-Boy looked like. The device is called the Pip-Boy 1.0 and looks massive compared to the in-game version. It also appears in The Art of Fallout 4 book, giving players an even better look at the prototype.

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It can be seen the Pip-Boy has a small display screen, a keyboard below the screen, and a few dials. Just imagine if that device was  used for the vaults. Nobody would be able to actually fight off the enemies of the wasteland.

4 Residents Receive A Pip-Boy After They Turn 10

The player being given a Pip-Boy at their birthday

It seems residents of the vaults receive a Pip-Boy on their tenth birthday. Players see this while playing Fallout 3as the overseer gives the Lone Wanderer such a device. Their friend, Amata, is younger than them and does not have a Pip-Boy of her own.

It's unknown whether this is only a rule in Vault 101, or if it's standard across other vaults. Vault dwellers seem to become actual citizens at the age of 10, thus being allowed a Pip-Boy of their own.

3 There Are Hints That It Is Reused

A view of the Pip-Boy 3000

It makes sense when thinking about it, but the Pip-Boy in vaults might be reused after a resident dies. There would only be a set amount of the devices for a vault, meaning that people would need to reuse them. If a player listens to the Vault Radio, they can pick up a hint suggesting this is true. A message will mention the need to upkeep the Pip-Boy for the user and future generations.

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It seems a little morbid to think about the Pip-Boy being passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps the device's owners don't maintain it, some poor resident in the future will go without one.

2 The Player Can Get A Unique Pip-Boy

The Pimp Boy 3Billion on a player's wrist

In Fallout New Vegas, players can acquire a unique version of the Pip-Boy. It is called the Pimp-Boy 3 Billion and has silver and gold plating on it. Along with the plating, it appears to have diamonds on the arm strap. To get this, players should speak to one of the owners of Mick & Ralph's in Freeside.

Convincing an Omertas boss to buy guns from Mick will unlock this Pip-Boy for the player. For anyone with the Wild Wasteland perk, a disco tune will also play when they put it on. Players can also switch between variants, going back to the normal device if they want.

1 Its Knobs Are On Wrong Side

A player looking at their stats on the Pip-Boy

When playing Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, players might notice something odd about the Pip-Boy 3000. It is on the user's left arm, but the knobs are on the left side of the device. This means the user would have to reach over the screen to use these knobs.

Luckily, this was fixed with the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV of Fallout 4. The Art of Fallout 3 mentions this mistake – the designer said it was only years later they realized the error. The designer explained it by saying that ergonomics were not a priority in design for the era.

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