If you’re one of the millions of folks picking up Fallout 4 in the wake of the incredible Amazon Prime TV series, then you’ve come to the right place. The next-gen version of Fallout 4 has finally arrived, and whether you’re on Steam, PC Game Pass, or Xbox Series X/S, there’s a wealth of impressive mods to peruse. I’ve spent well over 1,000 hours exploring the Commonwealth, and downloaded and tried almost as many mods in the last 9 years. Some purists out there would say your first playthrough should be vanilla (no mods), but I say otherwise!
Note that if you are playing on PlayStation, due to Sony’s excessive limitations on mods, none of these will be available. Also note that the PC Game Pass version is only moddable through Bethesda.net. If you’re using that version, I’ve got you covered as well. Those playing on Steam are the only ones who will have access to all 48,000+ Fallout 4 mods out there. Those on Xbox and PC Game Pass will have access to a much more limited selection, but there’s still plenty to play around with. You will need either the Fallout 4 G.O.T.Y. Edition, the base game Fallout 4 with the Season Pass, or all 6 DLCs to install most mods.
If you are on PC (Steam) and you’re a newbie to modding, I recommend using the Vortex Mod Manager – it’s safe and simplifies mod installation to a single click. Before you begin, follow this detailed guide (written by Shadowrun on the Steam forums). Remember you do NOT need F4SE (the Script Extender) for any of these – just go through the first part of the guide.
If you’re on Xbox or PC Game Pass, you’re in luck – simply launch Fallout 4, head to the Mods section on the main menu, and search up what you’re looking for. Below are a handpicked selection of lore-friendly mods that are more about quality of life and cut content, and do not interfere with or break any part of the story or world. We’ll also be avoiding mods that use the Script Extender so they won’t break with the transition to the next-gen version!
Full Dialogue Interface
Full Dialogue Interface is, in my opinion, the most essential Fallout 4 mod out there. During dialogue in the vanilla game, only snippets of your response options are shown on screen. This means that you never really know what your character is going to say until they actually say it. This mod fixes this very basic issue by showing you your actual dialogue options as they will be stated, along with relevant skill check information. This mod corrects Fallout 4‘s biggest problem, one even Todd Howard himself acknowledged was a huge mistake. Bethesda’s later games, Fallout 76 and Starfield, both go back to this older “show full dialogue” system, similar to what we had in Fallout 3 and New Vegas.
Download for PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1235
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Unofficial Patch
It is no secret that Bethesda’s games can be… buggy. While the major game-breaking bugs have been patched out, as of now there are a few bugs still scuttling around in there. The aim of the Unofficial Patch is to fix all the holes where the code keeps leaking out, and it does a spectacular job of it. Hopefully, with the hundreds of bug fixes Bethesda is introducing in this next-gen update, this mod won’t have to do so much heavy lifting anymore!
Download for PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4598?tab=description
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Lowered Weapons/Alert Carry
A simple little mod that adds a lot to immersion. Why walk around friendly areas with a rifle pointed in everyone’s face? Put your guns down with the help of Lowered Weapons.
Download for PC : https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/522
The equivalent mod is called “Alert Carry – Lower Your Weapons” on Xbox and PC Game Pass. Download by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Darker Nights
Darker Nights is one of my favorite immersive mods, and I never leave the Vault without it. Pretty self-explanatory – the vanilla game currently leaves night time with roughly the same visibility as day. If you really want to feel like you’re roughing it through the wasteland, don’t miss out on this one. You can even select darkness intensity! I recommend Darkest.
Download on PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/191
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Sim Settlements
I have a great love for the settlement building system in Fallout 4, but many prefer not to spend too much time interacting with it. Sim Settlements is a wildly popular mod that puts your settlers to work actually cleaning up, maintaining, and farming without you giving explicit instructions on where to do so. They’ll also build your city up using the junk you collect, if you like, so you can spend your time out there in the wastes bullseye-ing radrats in your T-60 Power Armor.
Download on PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/21872
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Better Settlers
This lore-friendly mod, Better Settlers, uses the in-game character creator to make you 160 new settlers, with various races, appearances, clothing styles, and body shapes so no two settlers are alike!
Download on PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4772
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Amazing Follower Tweaks
When making Fallout 4, Bethesda intended to follow suit from Fallout 3 and New Vegas by allowing players to have Dogmeat plus an additional human companion. Due to memory constraints on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, this didn’t pan out, so the vanilla game only allows one companion at a time. No longer! The mode Amazing Follower Tweaks comes with a host of companion tweaks, but I suggest only using it for multiple followers for a first playthrough.
Download on PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26976
This mod has an equivalent on Xbox/PC Game Pass called “Everyone’s Best Friend.” Download it by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
Settlement Supplies Expanded
Building settlements with only the vanilla items often leaves players asking “why can’t we have nice things?” Now you can! This mod, Settlement Supplies Expanded, adds 400 new objects to settlement building menus. All of them are in-game models, so nothing will be lore-breaking. You want a bed with covers AND a pillow? It’s a tall ask, but, with this mod, it’s possible!
Download on PC (Steam): https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26976
Download on PC Game Pass or Xbox by searching in the “Mods” section of the main menu after launching the game.
There you have it! If Fallout 4 is your first game in the series, welcome in fellow Vault Dweller! There’s a wild, wacky world to explore out there, and these mods should help you do it in the most immersive way possible. Enjoy!
What are your favorite Fallout 4 mods? Comment below and let us know!
