Bethesda is giving away a free next-generation update for Fallout 4 instead of charging players for it like Skyrim did.
Bethesda is bringing its most popular games, Skyrim and Fallout 4, to the new generation of video games. While Skyrim has been re-released for a number of generations, Fallout 4 will be the first game for a new generation to play next year. Both games will make full use of the new hardware’s power and push their engines to their limits. However, when it comes to bringing these two games to next-gen, Bethesda seems to be taking a very different approach.
As part of the 25th anniversary of the Fallout series, Fallout 4 will receive a next-generation update next year. Those who already own the game will get this update for free, and it will include a lot of new features to make players want to go back to the desert. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s next-generation update was released in September of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, but Bethesda chose to charge people to play Skyrim on new hardware rather than giving it away for free to people who already had the game. Some players have pondered the reason for the stark contrast between these two approaches.
Skyrim has been released so many times by Bethesda that it has become a popular internet meme. The first re-release of the game occurred two years after it was initially released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. The title of the re-release was “The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Legendary Edition, which included both the base game and all of the DLC. Anyone who wanted to play this groundbreaking game but had not yet purchased it could do so with ease in this version.
The Special Edition was the name given to the second re-release, which was made available alongside the PS4 and Xbox One. Anyone who owned the original game and its DLC received this version for free on Steam; however, it costs money for everyone else. The Anniversary Edition, Bethesda’s next-generation Skyrim, was released in 2021 and sold for a fee once more. It was available for purchase for $49.99 by those who had never played Skyrim, and it was available for purchase for $19.99 by Special Edition owners. Additionally, it was not included in Game Pass, necessitating a separate purchase of Skyrim for those who desired to play a next-generation Tamriel.
Fallout 4 has not received the same treatment as Skyrim, which has had numerous re-releases that have all been expensive. The Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition, which included all of the DLC in a single package, was the only re-release of the game. Owners of the original Fallout 4 game will receive the initial next-generation update for free. After updating their games, players will be able to play a more advanced version of the Commonwealth.
The next-generation Fallout 4 update will improve the game’s frame rate and bring it up to 4K resolution. Additionally, Bethesda has stated that it will include bonus Creation Club content in addition to numerous bug fixes. About this update and the kind of bonus content that will be included, not much else is known. The only thing Bethesda has said is that the update will be free for players when it launches in 2023.
Skyrim and Fallout 4 have been treated very differently by Bethesda. Players can only speculate as to why Bethesda might be doing this for a variety of reasons. Whatever the circumstance, it is to be hoped that this will not be the last time Bethesda offers a free update for the next generation instead of requiring players to continually purchase the same game.
Fallout 4 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a 2023 release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.