Fallout 4 Update 1.10.163 〈Firefox REAL〉

This depends entirely on how you play Fallout 4. Fallout 4 Update 1.10.163

The most enduring legacy of Update 1.10.163 was its silent implementation of support for the Xbox One X and enhanced support for the PlayStation 4 Pro. Following this update, the game utilized the additional horsepower of the "mid-gen refresh" consoles to render the Commonwealth in native 4K resolution.

Technically, this was a significant achievement. The Creation Engine, a heavily modified iteration of the Gamebryo engine, has historically struggled with memory management and draw distances. Update 1.10.163 introduced specific render targets for the Xbox One X’s 12 GB of GDDR5 RAM, allowing for improved shadow distance and god-ray rendering without the frame-rate drops that plagued the original 2015 release. Mods (Bethesda

However, this optimization came with a cost. The update increased the file size of the base game significantly, requiring players to redownload large texture blocks. This highlighted a growing issue in the 8th console generation: the "storage tax" of service games, where players were forced to sacrifice hard drive space for visual enhancements they may not have wanted, simply to remain on the latest version for achievement tracking and online connectivity.

The primary stated purpose of 1.10.163 was "new Creation Club content." Specifically, it laid the groundwork for the Capital Wasteland Mercenaries pack, allowing players to hire classic mercenary companions like Butch DeLoria from Fallout 3. Stability

This update is emblematic of the "limited time free offer" marketing strategy employed by Bethesda. By releasing the content for free for a limited window, Bethesda incentivized the installation of the patch. However, for the PC modding community, this update was a source of consternation. Unlike traditional mods, Creation Club content is curated and installed via a proprietary interface separate from the standard mod menu. Update 1.10.163 enforced this bifurcation, reinforcing the divide between the "Official" (paid) ecosystem and the "Community" (free) ecosystem.

For console players, this update highlighted the restrictions of the Creation Engine. Unlike PC players who could use script extenders to bypass limitations, Update 1.10.163 reminded console users that their modding capabilities were strictly gatekept by the publisher, with the Creation Club serving as the only source of "script-heavy" additions that bypassed the console memory limitations.

Bethesda’s official patch notes for Update 1.10.163 list a mix of long-requested features and technical overhauls. Here is the breakdown: