Editorials
Xbox One Fallout 4 Patch 1.3: 5 Things We Want
The Fallout 4 1.02 patch for Xbox One fixed a number of glaring problems but there’s still work to be done. We’ve been playing Fallout 4 for several months now and today we want to outline some things we want from the upcoming Xbox One Fallout 4 1.3 patch.
Fallout 4 was released in November to solid reviews from critics and gamers. But while the game received high marks, critics and gamers both expressed displeasure with the number of problems plaguing the game on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Fallout 4 problems have been a problem since release. Almost immediately, gamers started complaining about major bugs (broken quests, getting stuck in terminals and performance issues) and smaller problems like floating NPCs.
Update: The 1.3 patch is out for Xbox One and PS4. Here are a few early thoughts on its performance for the Xbox One.
If you played a Bethesda game before Fallout 4, this probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Bugs have always been a part of the developer’s games. Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Morrowind. All of them were plagued with issues of various sizes.
As we’ve noted many times, this is a marathon not a sprint to the finish line. Bethesda plans to support Fallout 4 for an extended period of time, just like it did with its other games. Fallout 4 will never be perfect but the company will cut down on the issues and stabilize the game in the months ahead. And it’s already off to a good start.
In December, Bethesda trotted out its first major Fallout 4 patch for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The Fallout 4 1.02 patch brought new features for PC and several bug fixes and enhancements for all three platforms. It’s an important update and it helped.
That said, Fallout 4 problems remain a problem for many gamers as we push deeper into 2016. Some bugs have carried over from 1.01, some are new.
Last week, Bethesda released an 1.3 patch for the PC but the update is still missing for the Xbox One and PS4.
Bethesda has said that its taking suggestions for future patches and updates and today I want to add my two cents and outline a few things I want from the 1.3 patch for Xbox One.
Your list of fixes will probably look a lot different than mine but this is what I’d love to see.
Fix for Sound Issues
Sounds problems continue to plague my version of Fallout 4. I’m playing the game on the Xbox One but sound issues aren’t limited to Microsoft’s console. PC and PS4 owners are also complaining about various sound problems.
Occasionally, my Fallout 4 sound will cut out completely forcing me to minimize to the dashboard and then go back in to fix it. This fix only works some of the time too.
Sometimes I have to close the game, open it back up, and reload the game. This wouldn’t be a problem if I had unlimited time to devote to gaming. I don’t.
Other times, I won’t hear bullets or footsteps or parts of conversation, all of which are experience-breaking issues. I had hoped that the 1.02 patch would squash these problems for good but they’ve only gotten worse with the patch on board.
I haven’t found any permanent fixes for these issues. I’ve heard that updating audio drivers on PC helps but I’m not playing on a PC.
There’s nothing listed in the 1.3 change log but updates sometimes fix things that aren’t listed so I remain hopeful.
Improved Frame Rate
According to several reports, the Fallout 1.02 patch fixed some of the frame rate and performance issues plaguing the PS4 version of Fallout 4.
EuroGamer’s put together an in-depth look at the 1.02 patch performance and it concludes that while the PS4 version of the game improved, the Xbox One version still needs work. I agree.
The analysis outlines some of the lingering Fallout 4 problems on Xbox One including frame rate issues and an issue with gun-drawing speed. I haven’t noticed the latter issue but the former is still a big problem in my game, particularly during big fights inside buildings.
I’ve run into stuttering and lockups in a number of different places around the wasteland but memorable offenders include Vault 114, Vault 81, Corvega Assembly Plant, and any time a Vertibird appears overhead when I am near buildings.
These issues don’t make the game unplayable but they are extremely frustrating, mostly because the frame rate drops seem to happen in every indoor space that features more than a couple of enemies.
The Vertibird issue is also annoying because they pop up every single time I venture out into the Commonwealth. As horrible as it sounds, I always hope they crash so that my frame rate returns to normal.
The 1.3 patch includes “general memory and stability improvements” so I am hopeful.
Fewer Crashes
Two weeks ago, I started counting my crashes (when I say crash I mean the game locking up with a weird buzzing sound and dashboarding me). So far, I am up to 17 crashes. 17. It wastes time and it kills momentum. It’s frustrating.
I save like a madman so I haven’t had to replay many long stretches but the potential is there. Fallout 4 crashes (by far) more than any game I own and I’ve love for the 1.3 patch to cut down on the number of crashes I encounter.
I realize this is a huge game with a lot going on but 17 crashes in two weeks is mind-boggling.
Vault 81 Improvements
I love Vault 81 and I would love it even more if Bethesda worked out some of the bugs plaguing the location.
I’m not going to get too deep because I don’t want to give anything away but know this. There are several quests in here that are bugged. For me at least.
Like others, I’ve been unable to complete missions and I’v been unable to trigger missions that I know exist. (And as I noted earlier, I’ve run into severe frame rate issues while inside.)
The 1.3 patch comes with a fix for “an issue where Vault 81 residents would not dismember correctly” so that’s a start. We’ll see.
Fix for Fast Travel Problem
Like many others, I’ve run into fast travel issues. Occasionally, I’m unable to fast travel even though I should be free to do so. It’s frustrating because I only have a limited amount of time to play the game each week and fast traveling helps me get a ton done during each session.
I didn’t have this issue with 1.01 on board so it looks like it’s an 1.02 thing. Bethesda has been asking for more information about this issue so I’m hopeful that the 1.3 patch fixes the issue even though there’s nothing listed in the change log.
Chem Redux | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chem Redux is an extremely popular Fallout 4 mod for PC that changes the look of the chems your character consumes on a regular basis. Bethesda's vanilla chems look great but I'm enjoying this developer's take on stimpacks, Buffout, Psycho, and more. The new skins look like they belong in the game. It's an excellent mod and one that would look and feel great on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Here's to hoping it gets ported at some point down the road. For more, take a look at the video below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sasha
12/16/2015 at 1:21 am
What about the settlment resources bugs? They piss me off and everyone of my settlements aparently has no water :/
John
12/17/2015 at 2:18 am
Apparently if you remove all of the TVs and Music players it seems to fix the problem… i haven’t experienced it myself but that’s what others have said.
Larrykmelo
12/16/2015 at 7:06 am
1=5 my neighbor’s ex-wife makes $68 /hr on the laptop . She has been fired for 6 months but last month her pay was $18404 just working on the laptop for a few hours.
navigate to this site…. See More
ryland heng
12/27/2015 at 12:52 pm
Also the quest for can’t to cure her psycho addiction just doesn’t appear and she told me where do go but no quest
technoViking
01/04/2016 at 9:15 am
The issue where you cannot complete the Dangerous Minds quest needs to be a top priority. Along with many of the other main quest issues. These are game breakers and should be addressed as soon as possible. These issues make it impossible to advance in side quests as well.
kidoki
01/08/2016 at 2:35 pm
they macreaddy god mode perk is a top priority to fix too. i’ve quit game until they fix that and am going through fallout withdrawals
Finn
01/10/2016 at 9:34 pm
The level 4 merchants need to be fixed
Raven
01/17/2016 at 10:31 am
Would really like them to fix another attack issue, and that is, you dont get any notification if a place is under attack if your already at that place.
Like sanctuary it is so big so the enemy can be just inside the area but havent been noticed yet, and if you leave walk or fasttravel then you don´t get a your place is under attack notification, and neither a you have failed to defend place X, but it gets destroyed since your not there to defend it.
shawn
01/27/2016 at 5:40 pm
Would really like it if they could fix the crash problem when I get near corevega plant. It really is a game killer since now I cannot complete missions.
John Brown Jr
01/28/2016 at 5:02 pm
How about not just fixing the “invisible pip-boy problem” but a general fix of having a usable pip-boy AND reflex sights while using either the Chameleon armor, or a stealth boy.
Fawkes
02/02/2016 at 4:55 pm
Ps4 level 52:
Frame rates in some areas/interiors and long loading times are 2 things i hope a new patch helps.
I hope some actions are improved to happen faster like holstering weapons, conversations, and the slow sniper scoping animation.
I could go on and make a long list of other fixes i would like but i will pass as it’s just stuff that worked better on last gen fallout games compared to fallout 4. However i still like fallout 4 even with the weapon hot key, sniper rifle wobble, and communicating with followers was all messed up.
Mark
02/10/2016 at 3:24 am
To the author: I don’t know if it’s because you’re on xbox but honestly you seem to have really bad luck with this game. I’ve got the ps4 version and have not had ANY of the issues you mentioned aside from maybe 3 crashes for the past few months. Little bugs here and there but not major game play issues like you have. I’d be pretty upset if I were you!
Landon
02/10/2016 at 11:47 pm
Haven’t had any problems with my game for the Xbox one before the new patch and now this new patch they came out with is causing problems I’ve never had before
Maryemayer
02/11/2016 at 9:44 am
44=505my co-worker’s aunt makes $72 an hour on the internet . She has been without a job for 7 months but last month her pay check was $13983 just working on the internet for a few hours.
see post… See More
Eolain
02/17/2016 at 6:45 pm
It would be fantastic if they could do what they did in fallout 3 and show your companions on your map. I sent piper to coastal cottage 2 weeks ago and I’ve been looking for her ever since. I checked all my settlements twice. I checked public occurences. She’s not tied to any quests, she’s just disappeared and it is incredibly annoying as I’ve played the whole game with piper by my side.
Joshua Marques
02/24/2016 at 9:32 am
We need the glow sights on “the deliverer” fixed ASAP!