There’s Still One Huge Reason Fallout 4 Is Better On Xbox Than PS5

Summary PS5 users faced compatibility issues with Fallout 4's next-gen upgrade, but they've now been resolved.

Xbox still offers superior Creation Club mods compared to limited options on PS5.

Sony's policy about new assets in mods severely restricts what can be made available.

Fallout 4's long-awaited next-gen update has now refreshed the game on both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5, but it's still a better game on the former option thanks to one huge difference between the versions. Ever since first making its way to consoles with Fallout 3, the post-apocalyptic RPG series has had plenty of struggles with bugs and performance issues showing up in every game to varying degrees. The Fallout 4 next-gen update does fix some key problems that have persisted in the game since launch, even if it introduces some of its own.

There was one big problem with the launch of the next-gen upgrade — many who had access to Fallout 4 on PS5 found themselves unavailable to upgrade it, as the version of the game made available through the basic PlayStation Plus tier seemed to frequently be incompatible. After several days of confusingly mixed messaging, the problem did end up being resolved, and anyone with the game on either PS5 or Xbox Series X/S should be able to access the update. Even with this fixed, however, Xbox comes out on top in a completely different area.

Related 10 Biggest Changes In Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update Fallout 4 is finally taking advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and there's also a substantial helping of new content for everyone to enjoy.

Fallout 4 Creation Club Mods Are Better On Xbox

Sony's Mod Restrictions Provide Fewer Options

Bethesda's Creation Club options for its console games are a huge selling point, and Fallout 4 is no exception. This system brings an extensive modding scene to the console space, importing something that's usually a distinct advantage for PC titles to a wider audience. The availability of mods isn't as extensive as the more open scenes on PC, but it offers significantly greater replayability and customization than can be expected from competitors. On PlayStation, however, things take a step down, as Creation Club is significantly more limited on Sony's consoles.

Related Fallout 4 Now Has One Of The Series' Most Controversial RPG Mechanics Fallout 4 may already be criticized for its lack of role-playing elements, but one controversial mechanic can now be added to the game with a mod.

The issue lies in Sony's general policy, as the company doesn't allow mods with new assets that aren't from the original game files to be made available. Although it presumably comes from a place of concern about safety and stability, Creation Club already prioritizes curation that wouldn't be found in the wider PC modding scene, and disallowing new assets ends up restricting things to an enormous degree. A decent chunk of Fallout 4 mods are still available, but they tend to consequently be the ones that provide less significant overhauls, and the library pales in comparison to Xbox.

The next-gen update has unfortunately delayed the release of major Fallout 4 mod Fallout: London, and it could have compatibility issues with other already released mods.

There's still plenty to do in vanilla Fallout 4, to say nothing of the mods that are still available on PlayStation, so the Creation Club limits aren't a reason to avoid picking up the game on PlayStation at all. In all other regards, the versions are essentially equal, targeting the same performance standards with the next-gen update and featuring the same official content. If both versions are an option, however, the Xbox port is ultimately the better choice thanks to the Creation Club difference, and it's not even a particularly close race.

PlayStation Gets The Short Stick On Bethesda Games

Fallout 4 Mods Aren't The Only Xbox Benefit

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The Xbox exclusivity of Starfield already made the Series X/S the platform of choice for some hardcore Bethesda enthusiasts of this generation. Even though the Creation Club difference has nothing to do with Microsoft's ownership of Bethesda, it does inadvertently support this same conclusion. The Elder Scrolls 6 also isn't supposed to come to PlayStation systems, which could be a bigger deal than either of these other cases, but Microsoft's recent introduction of some previous exclusives to a multi-platform market does imply that nothing is set in stone.

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The Creation Club issue on PlayStation isn't specific to Fallout 4, as it also affects the eternally popular The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, which is arguably a contender for the most iconic modding scene in gaming altogether. With the popularity of the Fallout show and the addition of the next-gen update, however, it can be a particular disappointment for those leaping into the game. Fallout 4's next-gen update might finally be available for all PlayStation users, but thanks to the difference in Creation Club content, the Xbox version of the game ultimately still comes out on top.