Missing meshes and underwhelming Ultrawide: Fallout 4 Next-gen update breaks more than it fixes

The release of the Fallout 4 Next-gen update is on course to join disastrous Bethesda launches alongside Fallout 76, wherein it seems to cause problems more than provide solutions. With proper support on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, this update was supposed to launch positively, but that is quickly backfiring.

Like any other version update, it will break your Fallout 4 modlist on PC, but this much is taken for granted. The problem is that it does not end there: Fallout 4 Next-gen update seems to underdeliver on its promises with half-baked features and lackluster QA on the new patch.

Note: Parts of this article are based on the author's opinion.

---

Major cracks show in Fallout 4 Next-gen update's state of polish

It's not "Fallout 76 on release" bad, but it's bad (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

The Fallout player base has seen a massive surge since the Amazon TV adaptation of the franchise went live. Last weekend, Nexusmods struggled to keep up with the swelling traffic of Fallout 4 and New Vegas modders.

The objective of the Fallout 4 Next-gen update was to keep the ball rolling, but this looks like a swing and a miss. The features are sometimes rushed and, in one case, downright broken.

Here are a few common issues we noticed in the first 24 hours of release.

---

Ultrawide screen implementation leaves a lot to be desired

Fallout 4 Ultrawide support seems to be mostly botched (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

With this patch, Fallout 4 finally has native support for Ultrawide screens. Unfortunately, it is one of the laziest Ultrawide support implementations in recent video game history. This is yet another case where modders did the job better than Bethesda.

Instead of proper scaling of UI elements, the entire HUD is stretched across the screen. Some menus, like the character creation screen, aren't even functional as menu elements are cut off.

---

Forced FPS lock on PC makes Fallout 4 Next-gen patch a lesser experience

Those familiar with the Creation Engine will know the framerate you get is tied to the in-game physics. This is why FPS lock is important for all Bethesda games, Fallout 4 included.

This does not universally sit well with most PC builds, turning off the game's VSync and using a third-party alternative to FPS lock the game is common practice.

The ini tweak meant for this FPS unlock is iPresentInterval=0 in fallout4.ini, which is reportedly defaulting back to iPresentInterval=1 since the Next-gen update. This is causing PC users to be stuck at 48 FPS in many cases.

Note: This issue can be potentially solved setting 'iPresentInterval=2' for the time being. However, this requires manual ini-tweaking, and setting your Fallout4.ini and Fallout4Prefs.ini to read-only.

This is just one of many reasons you should hold off on getting the Fallout 4 Next-gen update for PC. Thankfully, Steam version owners can roll back to a pre-Next-gen patch with Steam depot downloads.

---

Steam Deck release of Next-gen Fallout 4 patch locks you out of changing settings

Much like Fallout 76 on Steam Deck, Fallout 4 runs surprisingly well, except the latest patch locks you out of changing your settings. The Fallout 4 launcher has been removed from the Steam Deck version, and the in-game settings menu doesn't function either.

---

One of the Bonus Creation Club Contents on Xbox shipped with missing weapon meshes

In the same vein as Skyrim Anniversary Edition, this update shipped with some celebratory freebies to all players. This includes adding new gear to the Commonwealth, except some have missing meshes on the Xbox release.

---

Is it all bad?

To give credit where credit is due, Fallout 4 Next-gen version does seem to have a functional performance mode preset on consoles now. The game plays much smoother and looks much better overall on Xbox X/S and Playstation 5 as promised, save for the Ultrawide gripes.

However, this road bump on an otherwise smooth Fallout hype train has raised a few eyebrows. Many of these issues will be fixed down the line; however, some players will nevertheless feel disappointed with the state of polish in a Next-gen update the developers have reportedly worked so long on.

---

Check out our other guides on this game:

Fallout 4 vs Fallout 76 || All Fallout games ranked || Best Melee build || Is Fallout 4 on Game Pass?