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Fallout 4 is still popular amongst gamers after six years of its release. This open-world post-apocalyptic sandbox legend created by Bethesda Game Studios is haunting in both its gameplay and, sadly, its mid-session freezes.
The most annoying part of Fallout 4 is different stuttering reasons in PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Other than common Fallout 4 stuttering issues, this game also suffers from frame rate drops in specific in-game areas on game consoles, which otherwise ran smoothly on PC.
But that’s not limited to consoles; some quests that don’t load or end properly because of scripting bugs. Moreover, the occasional crashes are part and parcel of playing Fallout 4 on PC or consoles.
Fallout 4 Stuttering: Why Does it Happen?
Fallout 4 has two major issues which cause frequent screen freeze and crashes. In most cases, these issues occur because of slower load speeds.
A gaming PC with configurations above the minimum requirement for Fallout 4 may face issues limited only to in-game bugs. On the other hand, gamers using just the recommended system may find Fallout 4 laggy in certain sections.
When compared with Xbox and PS4, in-game issues persist because, primarily, even more bugs. Just as in any other game, PC bugs are multiplied in consoles while porting the game for compatibility.
Hence, users with gaming PCs under or at par with the minimum requirements for Fallout 4 need to increase the system output.
In the case of gaming consoles, several fine tunes can help resolve most issues. It is also advised to add all service packs to reduce device and system-related issues in PC mode.
Service Packs by Bethesda
Fallout 4 lagging and frame rate drop issues apart from the programming bugs in the game can be somewhat reduced by installing Bethesda service packs.
For most of the issues, some software tune-ups and hardware upgrades will do the trick. As for the rest, third-party mods can manage the programming bugs.
Bethesda has released several patches from 1.2 to 1.5. We will explain the objective of each pack so that if you are running an older version of Fallout 4, installing the service packs can fix the in-game bugs, at least.
Patch 1.2: It fine-tunes the game to produce significantly higher frame rates. This service pack worked wonders in resolving a lot of issues but mostly as a Fallout 4 loading fix. The 1.2 service pack has further improved the compatibility of fallout 4 with unofficial mods.
Patch 1.3: Launched a little after the 1.2 pack, this installation file improved the graphics and frame rate issues on all platforms. A lot of location-based glitches were also added to this service pack mind you!
Patch 1.4: This patch was intended to support the mod community. It helped synchronize the game with the creation kit and downloadable content, which ultimately added to the overall stability of Fallout 4.
Patch 1.5: Patch 1.5 was the last pack added by Bethesda to improve the support for downloadable content and related bug issues.
How to Fix Fallout 4 Stuttering?
Fallout 4 stutters can be fixed with memory modifications on consoles. But a wider range. of fixes can be applied for PCs. Viz. –
For Console
1. Upgrading storage drive
If you experience consistent stuttering even after installing service packs, the only resolution is using a faster drive.
Both Xbox One and PS4 can be customized with faster SSDs or a hybrid drive. Alternatively, you can add an external drive, if you want higher storage space and a better gameplay experience.
Gaming SSDs are expensive, but you can get an HDD for under $100 price tag, like this Seagate 5TB external HDD, compatible with both Xbox and PlayStations.
Both the consoles can also be upgraded similarly. However, make sure that the new drive is of the same form factor as the original drive you are replacing. Or else, choose an external HDD or SSD, like this Seagate Barracuda 1 TB SSD.
Sadly, this is all you can do for Fallout 4 issues on consoles.
For PCs
1. Upgrading the storage drive
PC gamers face relatively lower issues because of the higher voltage and capacity of your installed hard drive.
If you are using a 5400 RPM drive, you can replace it with a 7200 RPM hard drive that will offer better performance to help reduce loading times, frame rate drops, and common lags.
2. Updating graphics card driver
Graphics cards operating on old or corrupted drivers often result in lower performance output. Such issues can be resolved by updating your graphics or video card driver.
You can update them both manually and automatically by either selecting auto-upgrade or choosing when to install an upgrade.
Follow these simple steps to manually update your video card driver on Windows –
- Press Windows + R
- Search devmgmt.msc
- Device Manager will open. Navigate to device adapters
- Right-click on the video card and click on properties
- Click on the Driver subhead and press Update Driver
- Select search automatically
Or you can visit the respective website of your graphics card!
3. Limit FPS below your Display Refresh Rate
For PC games, a common reason behind stuttering issues is the difference between the frame rate generated by the GPU and the max refresh rates of the display.
While you can do this manually through the GPU controlling application, gamers can even use third-party applications to restrict the FPS.
If your PC has a Free-sync or G-sync enabled monitor, they can greatly improve the stuttering issue by syncing the FPS with display refresh rates.
AMD graphics card users can use software such as Radeon Chill. NVIDIA graphic cards have drivers to limit the FPS generation, hence no need to download dedicated software.
Another option would be to download Riva tuner Statistics Server (RTSS). RTSS even works well with overclocking software such as MSI Afterburner.
Hence, every option would bring different features to your PC gaming experience.
4. Using Sprint Stuttering Mods
Fallout 4 is notorious for stuttering issues, and if your game still has issues after trying all the previous methods, you can apply custom-developed mods.
The most popular of Fallout 4 lag fix mods are from Nexus mods. Last updated in October 2020, the sprint stuttering mod will smoothen your gameplay. It will also resolve weapon debris crashes and high FPS crashes.
Conclusion
Fallout 4 lag has some disturbing issues, which mostly arise from large quests with scripting bugs. Being a 6-year-old game, Fallout 4 does pose some challenges in playing on higher resolutions and most of the issues are related to frame rates, resolutions, and driver issues.
Updating drivers is the first thing to do, but there are a lot more options with FPS limitations and overclocking compatibility.
Also, with mods becoming a lot easier to develop after the latest update, the Fallout 4 community has been actively launching mod packs, and some of them can contribute to resolving stuttering issues.
Let us know how things went with these Fallout 4 stuttering fixes or if you’ve tried something else that worked!
