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Fallout 4/Skyrim Mods Are Back On For PlayStation 4, With One Big Caveat
Bethesda's plan to bring Fallout 4 mods to the PS4 ran into a series of setbacks since the game's release, leading to delays and the eventual cancellation of the feature last month. Today, Bethesda announced that mods are coming to the PS4 after all, but there are some major caveats with when and how they'll function.
Last month when Bethesda
announced it was canceling its mod plans, the publisher said it was still
working with Sony to find a solution to the problem. It appears the two companies
found that solution, but it contains a big compromise. In a post
on Bethesda's blog, the publisher revealed that user mods featured in the
PS4 version of Fallout 4 and Skyrim will not be allowed to contain any external
assets, and instead must rely on assets contained in the original game. That
means you can kiss things like stormtrooper
armor, new
hairstyles, and light "lazer" sabers goodbye, in addition to anything else that features user-created models, textures, or sound files.
Additionally, Bethesda says Fallout 4 mods won't be available until after work on Skyrim Special Edition is complete, so PS4 owners still have a significant wait ahead of them.
In brighter news, Bethesda says that both Skyrim and Fallout 4 will support PlayStation 4 Pro's 4K capabilities. Like mods, the 4K PS4 Pro support will come after the developer is done working on Skyrim.
[Source: Bethesda Blog]
Our Take
Bethesda's mod cancellation
announcement put the blame squarely on Sony, and it appears that the use of external
assets was the sticking point. While it's good the see that the
two companies worked together to give PS4 owners some kind of mod support, the restriction is a major disappointment. Part of the appeal of mods is that users can create
the new content for a game they love, in addition to just playing with
what's already there. While the PS4 will undoubtedly get a number of helpful
and entertaining mods for Skyrim and Fallout 4, Xbox One owners still have a
clear advantage.
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