Fallout 4 patch 1.02 boosts PS4 performance
Bethesda brings us closer to 30fps - but is it stable?
Fallout 4's patch 1.02 went live last night, a 512MB file that puts to rights some of the game's outstanding issues on PS4. Stability issues, glitches and areas of performance are in the crosshairs this time - while Xbox One's patch is still pending. Based on its update notes, Bethesda singles out the Corvega factory as a focal area of gain on PS4 - a nightmare to play in its launch state, with drops to 20fps and under on the console. Thankfully, we have some good news on this front.
Starting at its sewers and working up to the rooftops, Bethesda delivers a notable boost in Corvega's overall performance level compared to the day one patch. Across the breadth of our video below, a run of this area puts us at a fixed 30fps in places where the older version dwelled in the mid-20s. It's a night and day difference at points. It's a handsome boost then - but it must be stressed that we're still in the process of determining whether this improvement reflects the game's other stress-points on PS4 - such as effects-heavy battles.
As things stand, the improvement is clearly tangible, even if the frame-rate still isn't 100 per cent ideal. A flat reading at around 20fps creeps in once we trigger explosives in the sewers, while the high-rises of the factory plant still take a toll on PS4's frame-rate. An overview of Lexington prompts a similar lengthy drop, but patch 1.02's overall reading is indeed higher in each scenario.
Either way, clearly this area was a priority for the developer, and justifiably takes third billing in its patch notes. We're far from a perfectly stable 30fps, and accuracy while aiming manually still suffers from sharp declines in response during combat. But as an update released ahead of Christmas - a period in which new players are likely to jump into the experience - patch 1.02 is thankfully small, and at least takes the edge off some of its nastier frame-time spikes.
As for the rest of the game, we'll be back with more extensive tests on patch 1.02, checking whether a similar boost is in effect elsewhere. And of course, Xbox One is due for an equivalent update in the coming days, something we'll cover as soon once it lands.
