Bethesda's open-world RPG Fallout 4 received its first official patch this week. It fixed a number of bugs and put an end to the infinite money exploit. But what impact did it have on performance? That's what Digital Foundry examined as part of its new technical analysis comparing the two console versions.
The PlayStation 4 version fares better than the Xbox One edition, the site reports.
"The good news is PS4's improvements aren't limited to one targeted section, but rather, the game at large is now better optimized for Sony's machine," Digital Foundry said. "In particular, any combat that puts a strain on PS4's memory bandwidth--via the usual flurry of effects-work--now gets a marked boost on patch 1.02. The gains are remarkable in one early Deathclaw battle for example, going from lengthy lulls at 25fps and under when using the mini-gun on nearby sandbags, to a practically faultless 30fps with the update."
Frame rate drops still do happen after the patch in some sections, including complex locations like Diamond City where no performance improvements are reported. But the site reports that Fallout 4's patch is a "clear benefit" compared to the game's launch state where average frame rate was in the mid-20s.
The Xbox One version of Fallout 4, however, does not benefit as substantially from the patch in the area of frame rate, Digital Foundry found.
"Unfortunately, all signs point to Xbox One staying largely unmoved in its frame rate delivery of Fallout 4, even with patch 1.02 installed," it said. "Tests between its launch day 1.01 and this update show few differences in the open world overall, many of which are lost within the margin of error."
"That said, one clear exception is in its handling of the Corvega factory, where previous drops to 25fps in the initial sewers area now resolve at 30fps on patch 1.02, albeit with a few minor drops," it added. "At least here, this patch has beneficial effects that mirror those on seen PS4-- though again Xbox One falls short in direct comparisons.
Digital Foundry's analysis also found that Fallout 4's stuttering issues in some sections on Xbox One are not addressed in the new patch. In addition, some shadows have apparently been removed in the Corvega factory interiors on Xbox One and PS4 for reasons unknown.
The site ultimately concluded that Fallout 4's new patch "adds more than it takes, especially so on Sony's flagship console."
Fallout 4 1.02 is expected to be only the first of many future updates to the game. Bethesda has not announced plans for the game's next update, but if history is any indication, you can expect it to launch first on PC and then come to consoles.
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