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Fallout 4's 'next-gen' upgrade launched with a range of issues - not least that the quality mode didn't work on Xbox consoles. Bethesda Game Studios has fixed that issue, but actually opened the door to a whole range of quality vs performance options - and added those options to PlayStation 5 as well. Tom Morgan re-reviews the upgrade with a comprehensive range of testing, finding that the new options are welcome - but the intrusive hitching isn't and needs addressing.

00:00 - Introduction
02:07 - Is the Xbox Series X/S Graphics Mode Toggle Fixed?
03:32 - PS5 versus Xbox Series X/S Visuals Mode Comparison
06:48 - The Benefits of Running at 30FPS Over 60FPS
08:28 - 1440p and 120Hz Output Modes Tested
09:48 - Performance on Xbox Series X
14:02 - Performance on Xbox Series S
16:05 - Performance on PS5
18:00 - Final Thoughts

 

[Fart Knight]

 

[Mr Moose]

Typical blind Tom.

Checked myself. Same mode/fps (visuals mode 60fps).
After all these years, game is still buggy as shit.

Edit: Buggy even on Series consoles.

 

[adamsapple]

Summary:

- New graphics toggles and frame rate toggles.
- Now you can choose 60 FPS at Visuals mode instead of only having 30/40.
- Quality mode is finally fixed on the Xbox consoles

Visuals:
- Xbox Visuals mode now has all the same draw distance enhancements that PS5 had.
- Settings have a parity on all 3 consoles, even Series S.
- Series S|X still retain some minor LoD advantages in distant buildings
- PS5 equivalent is lower than PC's lowest for this particular setting
- All consoles still lag behind PC's Ultra in some settings (Shadow quality and distance)

- When using Visuals with 60 FPS, DRS triggers more often and drops from native 4K more often
- Tested area shows drop from 2160p @ 30 FPS to 1872p @ 60 FPS
- Interiors usually don't show any drops in resolution

- SX also now retains the option to render the game at 1440p Quality for a tighter lock at 60 FPS ala PS5. You need to change system resolution to 1440p to do this.

- All above (minus the 1440p Quality step) applies to Series S but the max ceiling is 1440p and DRS can drop to 1080p lowest

Performance:
- 30 / 40 / 60 FPS options available for both Quality and Performance modes
- Xbox version now supports 120hz display options

- PS5/SX/SS all mostly lock 60 FPS even in Quality mode.

Xbox:
- Drops still occur at stress areas, downtown Boston etc.
- These drops are difficult to replicate as they occur differently in each run
- Corvega factory top is the only place to replicate drops consistently
- Performance mode can still show drops, lesser in the Boston area but still hitches present
- Quality / 40hz option makes the game run pretty much locked with only minor hitching
- Series S is the same as above but hitches are a big more aggressive than Series X
- Corvega top runs at 50fps on SX and 46fps on Series S
- Performance mode is a bit less effective than SX
- Like SX, 40hz mode is generally always locked with some hitching

PS5:
- When targeting Visuals @ 60, same kind of hitches as SX with similar lurches
- At points it's worse, at points it's better than SX. Corvega is identical (both run at locked 50)
- Performance mode runs better but still has minor hitching and random drops, similar to SX
- 40hz pretty locked like above

- PC version still has stretched UI elements

 

[LordBritish]

4k Ultra PC mode still blows the consoles out of the water it seems....

 

[adamsapple]

4k Ultra PC mode still blows the consoles out of the water it seems....

The shadows are the only notable difference between Ultra PC and consoles.

 

[DenchDeckard]

So pretty much the same on all consoles?

 

[adamsapple]

So pretty much the same on all consoles?

Pretty much, the Visuals mode at 60 FPS is surprisingly decent even without VRR. VRR will help with all the places it drops at, but it only drops at stress areas, general exploration is 60.

 

[Darsxx82]

Fortunately, this new patch has turned out well. It really is how it should have been released back in the day. Options are appreciated now that they are working properly.

The only thing that would be missing is to solve those micro-cuts (although I think this is a matter of difficulties with the graphics engine) and that they could implement the Ultra PC settings in both 30, 40 fps modes, it seemed that all consoles are more than enough performance for this.

 

[SlimySnake]

Typical blind Tom.

Checked myself. Same mode/fps (visuals mode 60fps).
After all these years, game is still buggy as shit.

man what an ugly looking game. Starfield is such a beautiful game in comparison.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

man what an ugly looking game. Starfield is such a beautiful game in comparison.

FO4 is literally a decade old, if Starfield didn't look better by comparison it would be even more a failure of monumental proportions

 

[adamsapple]

man what an ugly looking game. Starfield is such a beautiful game in comparison.

Well it came out in like 2015 lol

With a basic mod or two, it can look pretty decent.

Some direct Xbox captures:

 

[winjer]

Bethesda never fails to disappoint.

 

[SlimySnake]

FO4 is literally a decade old, if Starfield didn't look better by comparison it would be even more a failure of monumental proportions

Came out after Witcher 3. It looked fugly even by 2015 standards.

Well it came out in like 2015 lol

With a basic mod or two, it can look pretty decent.

Some direct Xbox captures:

that looks slightly better but textures are still really ugly. i get that they are probably designed to be but its too ugly.

 

[Radical_3d]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

 

[Hugare]

Well it came out in like 2015 lol

With a basic mod or two, it can look pretty decent.

Some direct Xbox captures:

Main problem with this game is draw distance, as seem on this post

Edit: Buggy even on Series consoles.

There are no shadows. None.

They didnt even bother turning on some AO or baked lighting. It just look like assets thrown in there, floating.

And it's not like it just happens when you are far away. It's close enough on this screen, but in Diamond City its worse, drawing shadows 5 meters away from the player.

The game looked like ass in 2014 and it sticks out even more now.

"Oh but it's 10 years old" is no excuse. In 2014 we had much better looking open world games than this.

 

[intbal]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

Nothing about Tom's analyses has ever been reliable.

 

[Mr Moose]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

Blind Tom.
I think it's a bug (that will never be fixed).

 

[King Dazzar]

Pretty much, the Visuals mode at 60 FPS is surprisingly decent even without VRR. VRR will help with all the places it drops at, but it only drops at stress areas, general exploration is 60.

Has that been your experience without VRR? The video seemed to show drops in multiple points around the city and mentioned when sprinting too. Only asking as it would be good to know if VRR is needed or not. I'm leaning towards VRR and visuals/60fps....

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

Summary:

- New graphics toggles and frame rate toggles.
- Now you can choose 60 FPS at Visuals mode instead of only having 30/40.
- Quality mode is finally fixed on the Xbox consoles

Visuals:
- Xbox Visuals mode now has all the same draw distance enhancements that PS5 had.
- Settings have a parity on all 3 consoles, even Series S.
- Series S|X still retain some minor LoD advantages in distant buildings
- PS5 equivalent is lower than PC's lowest for this particular setting
- All consoles still lag behind PC's Ultra in some settings (Shadow quality and distance)

- When using Visuals with 60 FPS, DRS triggers more often and drops from native 4K more often
- Tested area shows drop from 2160p @ 30 FPS to 1872p @ 60 FPS
- Interiors usually don't show any drops in resolution

- SX also now retains the option to render the game at 1440p Quality for a tighter lock at 60 FPS ala PS5. You need to change system resolution to 1440p to do this.

- All above (minus the 1440p Quality step) applies to Series S but the max ceiling is 1440p and DRS can drop to 1080p lowest

Performance:
- 30 / 40 / 60 FPS options available for both Quality and Performance modes
- Xbox version now supports 120hz display options

- PS5/SX/SS all mostly lock 60 FPS even in Quality mode.

Xbox:
- Drops still occur at stress areas, downtown Boston etc.
- These drops are difficult to replicate as they occur differently in each run
- Corvega factory top is the only place to replicate drops consistently
- Performance mode can still show drops, lesser in the Boston area but still hitches present
- Quality / 40hz option makes the game run pretty much locked with only minor hitching
- Series S is the same as above but hitches are a big more aggressive than Series X
- Corvega top runs at 50fps on SX and 46fps on Series S
- Performance mode is a bit less effective than SX
- Like SX, 40hz mode is generally always locked with some hitching

PS5:
- When targeting Visuals @ 60, same kind of hitches as SX with similar lurches
- At points it's worse, at points it's better than SX. Corvega is identical (both run at locked 50)
- Performance mode runs better but still has minor hitching and random drops, similar to SX
- 40hz pretty locked like above

- PC version still has stretched UI elements

PS5....is there any difference between Quality @ 60fps or performance @ 60fps? My non expert eyes has them looking and performing identical.

 

[King Dazzar]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

Blind Tom.
I think it's a bug (that will never be fixed).

Yep, noticed exactly the same thing. Here's a fact for you. On XSX with the mods I used, I got FO4 on XSX running 4k 60fps locked at all times bar one notorious interior. Yet here we are with professional patches...

 

[adamsapple]

PS5....is there any difference between Quality @ 60fps or performance @ 60fps? My non expert eyes has them looking and performing identical.

Performance mode has lower draw distance for foliage and geometry.

You wouldn't really notice those without these 300% zooms in the first place.

Has that been your experience without VRR? The video seemed to show drops in multiple points around the city and mentioned when sprinting too. Only asking as it would be good to know if VRR is needed or not. I'm leaning towards VRR and visuals/60fps....

Oh I play this with VRR / Quality / 60 already, so it's a non-factor for me, just reacting based on the video where the Boston area drops to mid 50s, I thought it would be worse than that running at 4K with the Ultra equivalent settings.

My recollection of using the One X version with the 60hz mod was that it was dropping much more in places like the roof of the Corvega factory.

 

[Mr Moose]

PS5....is there any difference between Quality @ 60fps or performance @ 60fps? My non expert eyes has them looking and performing identical.

 

[adamsapple]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

What you've highlighted is not LoD, it's some things drawing on farther on either console, see from the same image. Some things are drawn farther on PS5, some farther on Xbox.

These are incredibly minor differences and likely relics of how the game worked on PS4/XBO.

 

[Radical_3d]

What you've highlighted is not LoD, it's some things drawing on farther on either console

Isn’t that the definition of LOD?

 

[adamsapple]

Isn’t that the definition of LOD?

LoD is level of detail, how far away a higher version of a texture is swapped for a lower quality one.

Draw distance is how far away a thing is drawn in the first place.

 

[King Dazzar]

Oh I play this with VRR / Quality / 60 already, so it's a non-factor for me, just reacting based on the video where the Boston area drops to mid 50s, I thought it would be worse than that running at 4K with the Ultra equivalent settings.

My recollection of using the One X version with the 60hz mod was that it was dropping much more in places like the roof of the Corvega factory.

So you're finding no stutters etc with VRR?

Yeah I used a grass density mod if you recall and several other mods which eliminated stutter. And on the factory stress test point, I used to get one minor drop hitch when doing a full 360 pan, but otherwise still 60fps locked. Not constantly in the 50's like we have now. Anyway it is what it is. And I'm glad regardless to have vanilla where it is.

 

[adamsapple]

So you're finding no stutters etc with VRR?

Occasional traversal stutter aside, the persistent drops to 50 like in DF's video when in Boston or Corvega are not noticeable when I'm playing.

VRR is an incredible feature.

 

[Oppoi]

Occasional traversal stutter aside, the persistent drops to 50 like in DF's video when in Boston or Corvega are not noticeable when I'm playing.

VRR is an incredible feature.

You're quite the user here on Gaf, not a regular user. The amount of work you put into this gig, how much would that be worth money wise?

 

[bender]

man what an ugly looking game. Starfield is such a beautiful game in comparison.

My Ford Pinto is faster than your Big Wheel.

 

[simpatico]

Sarah Bond made the call.

 

[King Dazzar]

Occasional traversal stutter aside, the persistent drops to 50 like in DF's video when in Boston or Corvega are not noticeable when I'm playing.

VRR is an incredible feature.

Not sure why you're mentioning VRR as a feature, as I already have it. But thanks for letting me know how you got on with it in FO4. I'll enable VRR then for my next run on PS5. I didnt need it enabled with my modded version on XSX. But it is as it is.

 

[adamsapple]

Not sure why you're mentioning VRR as a feature, as I already have it. But thanks for letting me know how you got on with it in FO4. I'll enable VRR then for my next run on PS5. I didnt need it enabled with my modded version on XSX. But it is as it is.

Ah I remember you told me elsewhere that you keep it disabled, I thought you were talking about your general experience with it too, above. My bad.

Are you noticing no drops at the 60 fps mode with the grass reduction mod ?

 

[DaGwaphics]

man what an ugly looking game. Starfield is such a beautiful game in comparison.

Agreed, people don't appreciate what a giant leap the game was for them visually. There are some ugly spots, but also some really well done areas.

 

[Oppoi]

Agreed, people don't appreciate what a giant leap the game was for them visually. There are some ugly spots, but also some really well done areas.

Real shame the game was shoved to us in the state it was. All because of gamepass.

 

[DaGwaphics]

Real shame the game was shoved to us in the state it was. All because of gamepass.

That almost implies that we don't get games outside of subscriptions that are in much worse shape. I have like 170hrs in Starfield. I enjoyed it.

I think they should have done one or two planets that were more reminiscent of their other work, where the map was flatter (not the literal topography but where you weren't going to lower or higher floors) and took longer to explore, but maybe in an expansion.

 

[Radical_3d]

Real shame the game was shoved to us in the state it was. All because of gamepass.

As if Bethesda was a guarantee of quality before game pass. Not a fan of the business model but in this case is clearly not the problem.

 

[Oppoi]

As if Bethesda was a guarantee of quality before game pass. Not a fan of the business model but in this case is clearly not the problem.

Gamepass was the reason why Starfield got shoved out the door in a half baked state. The creation engine is responsible for the immersion breaking loading screens. Starfield was such a colossal failure.

 

[simpatico]

Team Gamebryo checking in. Worse thing Bethesda could ever do is change engines. It would never be the same. Just drop the space idea altogether because it doesn't even comport with what they do. A Fallout game on the Starfield version of the engine would be just fine.

 

[violence]

Bethesda releases Fallout patch that works on PS5 but not the flagship console.

Microsoft drowns sister studio in the pool and throws body in the woodchipper.

Bethesda releases Fallout patch that fixes Xbox version.

 

[King Dazzar]

Ah I remember you told me elsewhere that you keep it disabled, I thought you were talking about your general experience with it too, above. My bad.

Are you noticing no drops at the 60 fps mode with the grass reduction mod ?

No worries.

Haven't tried any mods with PS5 as hoping to do a vanilla run. But prior to the last update I got a locked 60fps with Performance up to the museum. And an area on the way there which used to require the grass mod to be smooth, was smooth without the mod. I'll play about with it myself as I progress. But I think visual, 60fps and VRR is likely the way forward.

 

[RoboFu]

Am I going bananas? Are the labels switched?

he says building ... that's not a building.

 

[diffusionx]

Agreed, people don't appreciate what a giant leap the game was for them visually. There are some ugly spots, but also some really well done areas.

And it's still as far behind the competition, games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Gamepass was the reason why Starfield got shoved out the door in a half baked state. The creation engine is responsible for the immersion breaking loading screens. Starfield was such a colossal failure.

The game was in development for eight years and got almost a full year delay... At what point would it not be half-baked..

 

[Radical_3d]

Gamepass was the reason why Starfield got shoved out the door in a half baked state. The creation engine is responsible for the immersion breaking loading screens. Starfield was such a colossal failure.

Name one Bethesda game that hasn’t been shoved out the door in a half baked state.

 

[DenchDeckard]

You're quite the user here on Gaf, not a regular user. The amount of work you put into this gig, how much would that be worth money wise?

That is some beautiful reply to adamsapple when the first three pages of your post history are nothing but shitting on MS..... keep it up chief.

 

[Rosoboy19]

FINALLY someone gives us the 30fps Performance mode we’ve all been craving.

 

[Jigsaah]

*Laughs in PC

Then cries cuz my mods broke again.

 

[crazepharmacist]

Did they fix the UI being cut off in 32:9? Literally makes the game unplayable.

Also, how hard is it to make a raw mouse input option? Like come on.

 

[Oppoi]

That is some beautiful reply to adamsapple when the first three pages of your post history are nothing but shitting on MS..... keep it up chief.

My hate boner for MS is massive and growing!