Warnings
- For Games for Windows - LIVE on Windows 8 or later, install the latest Games for Windows - LIVE software.
Key points
- Runs better on Windows 7 and later with the multiple core CPU fix.
- Shares many similarities with Fallout: New Vegas in terms of its engine and performance.
- Extensive modding community.
General information
- Steam Community Discussions (Game of the Year Edition)
- Steam Community Discussions
- Steam Users' Forums for game series
- No Humans Allowed Forums for game
- Fallout 3 Nexus - the most popular host for almost all Fallout 3 mods.
Availability
- All versions require Games for Windows - LIVE.
Version differences
- The Game of the Year Edition includes all DLC, and is the best choice for price and modding capability.
- The German Low Violence (LV) version only includes the German language and has content differences (e.g. no blood/gore).
DLC and expansion packs
Name |
Notes |
|
Operation Anchorage |
|
|
Broken Steel |
|
|
The Pitt |
|
|
Mothership Zeta |
|
|
Point Lookout |
|
|
Essential improvements
Patches
- The v 1.7 patch updates the game to the latest version. The Steam version is already patched.
Mods
- Nexus Mod Manager - the best mod manager for Fallout 3, making the process of installing mods much easier.
- Fixes many of the bugs which official Bethesda patches never solved
- Free registration required to download.
- Improves performance for any 64-bit operating system with more than 2 GB RAM by allowing the game to access up to 4GB RAM.
- This patch may remove GFWL!
- Russian and Polish DVD retail copies, Direct2Drive copies, and the unpatched game (1.0.0.12) are all unsupported.
- Disables GFWL when run.
- Used by many Fallout 3 mods to extend the scripting capabilities of Fallout 3's game engine.
Tale of Two Wastelands
- Tale of Two Wastelands combines Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas into a single game.
- Games for Windows Live can be disabled as an alternative to using a local profile.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
Save games missing
If logged into Games for Windows LIVE, the game will save the save files under the currently logged-in username. If logged out of the service, the game will be unable to locate the saves.
If you restart the game, your saves should be detected.
Video settings
Template:Video settings
- Most graphics options are accessible on the main launcher screen.
- Adds support for multi-monitor displays.
- Displays HUD on the middle display.
- Relevant multi-monitor resolutions:
3840x1024 |
5040x1050
|
iSafeZoneXWide=610 |
iSafeZoneXWide=770
|
iSafeZoneYWide=15 |
iSafeZoneYWide=15
|
iSafeZoneX=610 |
iSafeZoneX=770
|
These values use the 5:4 aspect ratio as a baseline FOV:
Aspect Ratio |
FOV Value
|
4:3 |
79.9000
|
16:9 |
105.3000
|
15:9 |
99.0000
|
16:10 |
95.2000
|
21:9 |
80.0000
|
Input settings
Template:Input settings
Audio settings
Template:Audio settings
- May require DirectSound3D restoration software to restore proper audio functionality on Vista and later.
Localizations
- The German Low Violence (LV) version only includes the German language.
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
|
|
|
|
French |
|
|
|
|
German |
|
|
|
|
Italian |
|
|
|
|
Spanish |
|
|
|
|
Issues fixed
- TweakGuides has created a comprehensive guide for fixing issues in this game. It can be found here.
Game crashes randomly
- Caused by problems with multi-core CPUs on Windows 7 and later.
Game keeps minimizing
- Caused by the cursor being active in the background (and clicking Icons, Links, Buttons etc.)
Crash when starting new game or loading save
Pip-Boy radio skipping or stuttering
- Commonly caused by an issue with current MP3 codec, the format used exclusively by songs played through PipBoy radio.
- The music may not be stuttering when the game is minimized, with the song played normally.
- More info about the problem can be found here and here.
Game crashes on start-up
Game hangs on closing
Crash when leaving Rivet City Marketplace
- Happens when first entering the Rivet City marketplace to learn the history and then leaving through the door to the stairwell.
System requirements
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
XP, Vista | |
Processor (CPU) |
2.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4
| Intel Core 2 Duo |
System memory (RAM) |
1 GB (XP) 2 GB (Vista) |
2 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
8 GB | |
Video card (GPU) |
nVidia 6800 ATi X850 256 MB of VRAM
| nVidia 8800 series ATi 3800 series 512 MB of VRAM |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
References