Fallout 4 Mods Are Finally Coming to PS4 With Restrictions

[Steven Bogos]

Fallout 4 Mods Are Finally Coming to PS4 With Restrictions

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After a lot of back and forth, Sony has finally agreed to allow mods on the PS4 version of Fallout 4 - with a pretty heavy restriction.

Today, Bethesda Softworks [https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/mods-and-4k-coming-to-ps4-for-skyrim-and-fallout4/2016/10/04/221] announced that mods were actually, really coming to the PS4 version of Fallout 4, as well as the upcoming Skyrim: Special Edition HD remaster. The bad news is that we still don't have an actual timeframe for Fallout 4. All we know is that Skyrim mods will come first, and Fallout 4 mods will come later, and as Skyirm: Special Edition doesn't launch until October 28, don't expect Fallout 4 mods until November at the earliest.

Secondly, both Skyirm and Fallout 4 mods for PS4 come with one, rather heavy restriction: they cannot use any external assets - only assets that come with the game. That means mods that add new textures and models will not be compatible with the PS4 version of the game.

When we last heard about the mod situation, Bethesda flat-out blamed Sony [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/168364-Bethesda-Says-Sony-Wont-Approve-Fallout-4-Skyrim-Mods-on-PS4] for the delay, stating that the publisher was refusing to approve "user mods the way they should work". It seems that they have finally reached a compromise, and that compromise involves stripping mods of external assets.

Additionally, Bethesda announced that 4K and PS4 Pro support would be coming to both of these games.

Source: Bethesda [https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/mods-and-4k-coming-to-ps4-for-skyrim-and-fallout4/2016/10/04/221]

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[Jacked Assassin]

As long as my Female Khajiit can turn any other marriageable character into a Female Khajiit that'll be good enough for me.

 

[Lillowh]

This is...beyond ridiculous. Is it better than nothing? Probably, depending on who you ask. However, zero external assets is 98% of mods out the window. No new sounds, models, textures, effects leaves...what? Glorified dev console commands and a few game system changes/fixes here and there? As much as I think Bethesda is a cesspool (or at least their lawyers and execs are), I'm genuinely surprised they even bothered. Would not have blamed them for a second for continuing to not give Sony an inch on this until they pulled their head out of their...ground... and let this be done properly. Honestly, I think they should have just done that.

 

[Battenberg]

Wow, how pointless. They've simultaneously given up on their original standpoint and still utterly failed to give fans what they want. I genuinely miss the good old days when PS3 was so for behind X360 they had to actually make an effort.

 

[Saelune]

This is...beyond ridiculous. Is it better than nothing? Probably, depending on who you ask. However, zero external assets is 98% of mods out the window. No new sounds, models, textures, effects leaves...what? Glorified dev console commands and a few game system changes/fixes here and there? As much as I think Bethesda is a cesspool (or at least their lawyers and execs are), I'm genuinely surprised they even bothered. Would not have blamed them for a second for continuing to not give Sony an inch on this until they pulled their head out of their...ground... and let this be done properly. Honestly, I think they should have just done that.

My guess is they are going with the "Look, just taste it...if you dont like it you dont have to eat it...but you might like it" approach.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Sony's attitude towards mods has made me deeply, deeply regret buying Fallout 4 on the console.

At the time, I was like "well, I already have a PS4, got it for cheap off a friend, my computer's five or six years old, and they say that they'll allow mods on the console so may as well."

Regrets. Regrets. Playing Fallout 4 the first time around was like "This game is pretty good, but it'd be great with some mods." Especially the settlement system, which was half-baked but could've been as much fun as Minecraft with some tweaking.

I don't even understand Sony's opposition to mods. Mods keep people playing games for much, much longer than they already would, and it's done on the back of unpaid user-created content. (Shit, I'd probably go back and buy the DLC if I replayed Fallout 4 with mods on.)

But they're blocking it because...they don't want people futzing with their textures? Is it some kind of copyright issue? An anti-piracy measure? I don't get it. What's so special about the Playstation that you can't let people mess with it?

Shit, this is probably just some old asshole in a suit high-up in Sony going "Players?! Making content for our games?! For FREE?! INCONCEIVABLE"

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

This is...beyond ridiculous. Is it better than nothing? Probably, depending on who you ask. However, zero external assets is 98% of mods out the window. No new sounds, models, textures, effects leaves...what? Glorified dev console commands and a few game system changes/fixes here and there? As much as I think Bethesda is a cesspool (or at least their lawyers and execs are), I'm genuinely surprised they even bothered. Would not have blamed them for a second for continuing to not give Sony an inch on this until they pulled their head out of their...ground... and let this be done properly. Honestly, I think they should have just done that.

It is absurd, and Bethesda shouldn't have compromised unless they were just trying to make whoever's responsible for this decision at Sony look idiotic and anti-consumer for a second time.

However, of the 60+ mods I'm using on console a reasonable number would seemingly be allowed, and they'd still improve the game significantly. I mean, that's not a defence of Sony... and everyone's mod tastes are subjective. But it is still better than nothing [in terms of there simply being some options].

 

[RedDeadFred]

I guess it's better than nothing. Not sure how many of the mods I use fall under this category, but I would bet it's something like 10%. A few numbers tweaks and some bug fixes.

 

[MatthewTheDark]

So what's the point? I mean when I mod, I typically go for something new that I really like the sound of in my game. This pretty much just means the only kinds of mods you'll really get to see are bug fixes/unofficial patches and cheating stuff. You might as well have done nothing since they basically restricted them to whatever console commands would let you do.

 

[karkashan]

I think ya'll are forgetting about new dungeon mods and shit, things that are 9 times out of 10 done completely through in game assets. Hell, there are also a lot of player home mods that only use in game assets.

Will the mods be as robust as the ones on PC? no. But it will still be possible to add potentially hours of content into your game even with these restrictions.

praisegrima

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

You asked for a steak but you got a cold half eaten burger, from a dumpster. Sony can't tell the difference.

 

[Jacked Assassin]

I think ya'll are forgetting about new dungeon mods and shit, things that are 9 times out of 10 done completely through in game assets. Hell, there are also a lot of player home mods that only use in game assets.

Will the mods be as robust as the ones on PC? no. But it will still be possible to add potentially hours of content into your game even with these restrictions.

praisegrima

They should probably all become PC Gamers if they're going to complain this much. That way they'd also get all the mods that they can't get on Xbox One either.

 

[Callate]

Wow. I do believe they may have performed a minor miracle: found a compromise that is going to make some people angrier than if they hadn't allowed mods at all.

 

[K.ur]

So just Esp then? Are scripts possible? Actually, does the Beth thing allow non archives?

 

[RedDeadFred]

I think ya'll are forgetting about new dungeon mods and shit, things that are 9 times out of 10 done completely through in game assets. Hell, there are also a lot of player home mods that only use in game assets.

Will the mods be as robust as the ones on PC? no. But it will still be possible to add potentially hours of content into your game even with these restrictions.

praisegrima

A lot of these use new textures though. True, they utilize mostly in game assets, but they definitely alter them. By the sounds of it, something as simple as a reskin would not be allowed. Then again, now that modders know these limitations, it's possible that some of them will try to make PS4 friendly mods too. On the bright side, being able to get an unofficial patch for a Bethesda game is always a plus.

 

[K.ur]

an unofficial patch for a Bethesda game is always a plus.

But only a light version. Still definitely better than nothing.

 

[pookie101]

i think its more a case of the proprietary format the playstation uses for audio and textures being the reason for vanilla assets only rather than sony being purposely malicious and bitter

 

[aozgolo]

So just Esp then? Are scripts possible? Actually, does the Beth thing allow non archives?

Scripts are typically part of the ESP, as long as they don't require external assets or a front-loader like the Skyrim Script Extender, they should work fine as the creation kit has a script editor built in.

As for how Bethesda's mod service works I cannot say I'm only familiar with the Nexus which is only available to PC users.

 

[Recusant]

So you're getting almost nothing new, but it will (potentially) be shinier? Of all the problems with Skyrim, they think that what most needs fixing is the graphics?

That's kind of like saying that the problem with the Hindenburg was its fuel efficiency. As it's burning and plummeting out of the sky. Even for Sony, this is stupid.

 

[Fox12]

So what is allowed?