Fallout’s next-gen upgrade came out of the starting blocks with serious issues on all platforms, but a patch for PlayStation and Xbox systems on May 13th promises to fix the most glaring problems. We’ve tested the game on PS5, Series X and Series S to see what’s changed with the new update, and there is plenty to praise here – though some problems still remain. Crucially, Bethesda has at least provided a working graphics mode selector on Xbox Series X and S – a clearly labelled switch between ‘visuals’ mode and ‘performance’ mode that replaces the broken on/off performance toggle we saw before. These modes run with what the developer calls standard settings (on performance mode) or ultra settings (on visuals mode), and each deploys dynamic resolution scale to varying degrees too. That same visuals/performance labeling is applied to the PlayStation 5 version today as well, though these modes at least worked as intended in the previous patch.
There’s an extra bonus here. Every current-gen console also gains the ability to independently set their target frame-rate via a new in-game option. We have 30fps and 60fps modes available on standard 60Hz displays – while an additional 40fps display mode becomes available when running with a 120Hz screen connected. Essentially, you can now choose an arbitrary frame-rate target regardless of your graphics mode, and so, we can now even target visuals mode at 60fps. In effect this might make sense when running the game on future PlayStation or Xbox hardware, for example, or to maximise frame-rates in the game’s least demanding areas at the expense of frame-rate stability elsewhere. With two graphics modes and three frame-rate options, then, we certainly have a lot more flexibility.
The big question remains though: beyond fixing the obviously broken graphics modes on Xbox, does the May 13th update solve the hitches and performance issues we identified with Fallout 4’s current-gen console upgrade? How do all the consoles compare now with the top visuals mode selected? And finally, is it actually possible to run the visuals mode at 60fps, or is there still a need for those lower 40 and 30fps options to get a stable reading?
With the graphics mode toggle now working on Xbox, we finally get to see how all three consoles compare with the visuals mode engaged, complete with those “ultra” settings. With the frame-rate fixed to 60fps, dynamic resolution scaling engages more frequently – often at 1872p on PS5 or Series X – though 4K is possible in many less demanding areas. For many, the 1872p lower bounds here will not notice at a typical viewing distance from a TV. Meanwhile with the 30fps target selected on visuals mode, you can expect a slightly sharper, native 4K image 99 percent of the time. If you want to prioritise visuals and have a 120Hz display, the 40fps mode is also a very decent middle ground option. This qualifies you for a noticeable uptick in motion fluidity (25ms frame times, exactly between 30fps at 33.3ms and 60fps at 16.6ms) while maintaining the higher average 4K resolution of the 30fps mode. Meanwhile, Series S runs between 1080p and 1440p with the 60fps mode enabled, but runs at 1440p almost all of the time in the 30fps or 40fps modes.