Fallout 4 PS Plus owners can't currently get the next-gen update for free [UPDATE]

Update: 04/25 at 3:41 PM ET: Bethesda Softworks' community manager posted on the official Bethesda Discord server that the company is still working to fix the issue for PS Plus owners unable to access the free next-gen update.

Bethesda Game Studios also posted the same update on its X/Twitter page:

We've seen some confusion regarding Fallout 4's free next-gen update for PlayStation Plus Extra members. Fallout 4's next-gen update will be available to PlayStation Plus Extra members through the PlayStation Games Catalog. We appreciate your patience while the teams work on…

-Bethesda Games Studios (@BethesdaStudios) April 25, 2024

IGN asked Bethesda if there were any plans to refund PS Plus players who purchased Fallout 4 for the update before releasing the statement. Original story continues below.

Those who have Fallout 4 via PlayStation Plus don't appear to be able to download the next-gen update for free.

Reports suggest that Fallout 4's next-gen update (see patch notes here) is only free to those who fully own the post-apocalyptic adventure, rather than getting it via the PS Plus subscription service. It's not clear whether this was intentional or a bug. IGN asked Bethesda for comment.

That doesn't appear to be the case on Xbox Game Pass, where the original Xbox Series Fallout developer Bethesda, through its parent company ZeniMax, is owned by Xbox maker Microsoft.

IGN has verified that PS Plus subscribers will see the PlayStation 4 version of Fallout 4 receive a major update (last-gen versions of the game are also being updated today with new content and some bug fixes), but there appears to be no way to access the original PS5 version without purchasing it. At the time this article was published.

Bethesda rep It was posted on the company's Discord To address this confusion, saying: “The PS5 upgrade should be available to you if you own Fallout 4 on a PSN account. Still looking into this for PS+ users!”

PS Plus subscribers have expressed their disappointment with the situation, criticizing Bethesda for not reporting the issue ahead of today's long-awaited launch of Fallout 4's next-gen update. This comes after a sale period in which Fallout 4 was discounted to just $5.

The next-gen update includes native apps for controllers, Performance Mode, and Quality Mode settings, as well as stability improvements and fixes. This means the game will be playable at up to 60 frames per second and at increased resolution.

Elsewhere, Fallout 4 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is also getting a free update with stability improvements and fixes to login and quests. Finally, the free Fallout 4 PC update adds support for widescreen and ultrawide, as well as fixes to the Creation Kit and a variety of quest updates.

Players with the PC versions of Fallout 4 on Steam, Microsoft Store, and GOG will receive stability, modding, and bug fixes. Fallout 4 will also be sold on the Epic Games Store, and will be verified via Steam Deck.

Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. You can find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].