The Fallout 4 next-gen update offered a great reason for gamers to relive the post-apocalyptic game.
Scheduled to arrive this year, the update promised to retool the eight-year-old RPG for modern consoles and PCs. Higher frame rates, 4K graphics, bug fixes, and support for more mods were all on the cards.
Unfortunately for fans, Bethesda has announced that it’s pushing back the update to next year. In a statement shared on X, the developer said it needed a “bit more time” to work on it.
Thank you for your patience with us as we work on the Fallout 4 next-gen update. We know you're excited, and so are we! But we need a bit more time and look forward to an exciting return to the Commonwealth in 2024.
— Fallout (@Fallout) December 13, 2023
Although it didn’t offer any additional information or a concrete release date, there may be multiple reasons for the delay. Bethesda is busy with a little game called Starfield, which is probably its top priority as far as updates go.
It also recently started active production on Elders Scroll 6, after more than seven years since the fantasy game was announced. Clearly, games take a lot longer to make nowadays. And that’s especially true for the type of open-world, dialogue-heavy fare Bethesda is known for.
Still, Fallout 4 fans are allowed to be miffed about the news. After all, we’re talking about an update, not a full-fledged game. Several older titles swiftly received next-gen upgrades to rub salt in the wound, among them The Witcher 3, GTA 5, and Borderlands 3.
However, there could also be a wise reason for the delay. Next April will see the release of the Fallout series from Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Based on its first trailer, the show’s producer Amazon has spared no expense on the live-action adaptation.
In the hope of creating more hype, maybe the Fallout 4 update will arrive at the same time as the show.
In the meantime, those craving some retro-futuristic action can jump into Fallout 76. The multiplayer game debuted its fifth season, The Big Score, on December 5.
