Fallout 3

Fallout 3

Developers
	Bethesda Game Studios
Publishers
	Bethesda Softworks
Engines
	Gamebryo (TES Engine)
Release dates
Windows	October 28, 2008
Reception
Metacritic	91
IGDB	89
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC, Subscription gaming service
Microtransactions	None
Modes	Singleplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	ARPG, Open world, Shooter
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	North America, Post-apocalyptic, Sci-fi
Series	Fallout

Fallout
Fallout	1997
Fallout 2	1998
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel	2001
Fallout 3	2008
Fallout: New Vegas	2010
Fallout 4	2015
Fallout Shelter	2016
Fallout 4 VR	2017
Fallout 76	2018

Warnings

For Games for Windows - LIVE on Windows 8 or later, install the latest Games for Windows - LIVE software.

Fallout 3 is a singleplayer first-person open world RPG shooter developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game marks the shift of the series from isometric 2D graphics and turn-based combat to full-3D graphics and real-time combat.

The Microsoft Windows version of game was released physically at retail stores and digitally on Steam on October 28, 2008. A total of five DLC expansions were released for the game (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta), and on October 12, 2009, the base game along with all five expansions were bundled and released as Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition on all platforms. On June 2, 2017, a DRM-free version of the the Game of the Year Edition was released on GOG.com.

The retail version of the game is not optimized for Windows 8 and above out-of-the-box. However, many of these issues can be alleviated by installing various stability and compatibility mods. The GOG.com release features three such modifications pre-applied to the game: Games For Windows Live Disabler, Large Address Aware and multi-core CPU fix. The Steam version received an update in October 2021 which also removed Games for Windows Live.

The modding community for Fallout 3 is extensive; with the officially-provided Garden of Eden Creation Kit, players have produced a variety of mods. The largest repository of Fallout 3 mods is available at Nexus Mods

Bug-fix and stability mods are still strongly recommended, regardless of where the game was purchased. See Essential improvements and Modifications section for more information.

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions (Game of the Year Edition)

Steam Community Discussions

Fallout 3 Nexus - the most popular host for Fallout 3 mods.

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		Launcher uses SecuROM 7 DRM disc check, run with Fallout3.exe to bypass. Some other copies use SafeDisc v4.85 DRM. Russian copies use StarForce 5 DRM.
Epic Games Store		Can be run DRM-free when launched directly from the executable. Game of the Year Edition.
		Game of the Year Edition
GOG.com		Game of the Year Edition, multi-core issues are fixed.
Green Man Gaming		Game of the Year Edition is also available.
Humble Store		Game of the Year Edition is also available.
Microsoft Store		Does not require Xbox Live log-in. Game of the Year Edition. Included with Xbox Game Pass for PC.
Steam		Game of the Year Edition is also available.
Amazon.com (unavailable)		Game of the Year Edition is also available.
Bethesda.net (unavailable)		Game of the Year Edition
GamersGate (unavailable)		Game of the Year Edition is also available.
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).

The retail version requires Games for Windows - LIVE DRM., see Modifications.

Games for Windows - LIVE DRM was removed for GOG, Microsoft Store and Steam (v1.7.0.4) versions.

Version differences

The Game of the Year Edition includes the base game bundled with all five DLC expansion packs.

The German version only includes the German language and features censoring of blood/gore, however, the German GOG.com release is uncensored.

Monetization

Type	Notes
DLC	Additional singleplayer content.
One-time game purchase	The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service	Available via Xbox Game Pass for PC.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Operation: Anchorage
The Pitt
Broken Steel
Point Lookout
Mothership Zeta

Essential improvements

Official patches

The latest patch versions are shown below. For retail installs, the latest patch for all regions can be downloaded from Bethesda or from PCGamingWiki. The retail Game of the Year Edition will apply the 1.7.0.3 patch during the DLC disc installation.

• Retail/GOG - 1.7.0.3
• Steam - 1.7.0.4

Unofficial fixes

Large Address Aware Enabler - enables the game to more utilize more than 2 GB RAM. Pre-patched on GOG.com version. However, FOSE.exe will still need to be patched with this. GNU/Linux users running the game on Wine can export {{{1}}} as a paramater instead.

Ogg Vorbis Libraries - updated sound libraries that optimize the game's audio decoding, fixes an audio memory leak, sound-related stuttering and boosts performance while reducing CPU strain. Released for Fallout: New Vegas, but also works on Fallout 3.

Intel HD graphics Bypass package - Fallout 3 crashes when trying to load a save on some IntelHD iGPUs, such as the IntelHD 4000. This mod fixes that.

Miscellaneous

Skip intro videos

File removal[citation needed]
Go to <path-to-game>\Data\Video. Delete or rename Fallout INTRO Vsk.bik.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\*.ini
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/22300/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\Saves\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/22300/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Epic Games Launcher
GOG Galaxy
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor			See Multi-monitor.
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)		See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Install OneTweak followed by FOSE and enable the windowed mode in the launcher.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		Set in launcher. Up to 15 samples.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Set in launcher. Up to 8x MSAA. SGSSAA can be achieved on Nvidia systems with flag 0x000010C1.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		Toggle in launcher is broken. Set iPresentInterval=0 in fallout.ini to disable.
60 FPS
120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)		Rendered image uses SDR color space. In-game HDR option refers only to HDR Rendering.

Most graphics options are accessible on the main launcher screen.

Multi-monitor

Displays HUD on the middle display.

Multi-monitor[citation needed]
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\FALLOUT.ini Find the following lines: iSafeZoneXWide=15 iSafeZoneYWide=15 iSafeZoneX=15

Relevant multi-monitor resolutions:

3840x1024	5040x1050
iSafeZoneXWide=610	iSafeZoneXWide=770
iSafeZoneYWide=15	iSafeZoneYWide=15
iSafeZoneX=610	iSafeZoneX=770

Field of view (FOV)

Edit Field of view (FOV)
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\FALLOUT.ini Find the section: [Display] Add these lines to the bottom of the section: fDefaultWorldFOV=75.0000 fDefault1stPersonFOV=55.0000 Change the FOV value based on your aspect ratio. The second line affects the FOV of the gun, so a lower value is recommended to avoid clipping. For example 66

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

Enabling HBAO+ for Nvidia graphics cards

Note: Using Nvidia HBAO+ can break compatibility with ENB Series.

Use the Ambient Occlusion flag 0x00000005 with Quality or High Quality.

Using Ambient Occlusion flag 0x00000005

Download and run Nvidia Profile Inspector. Under Profiles select Fallout 3. Under Ambient Occlusion compatibility insert the flag 0x00000005. Under Ambient Occlusion usage select Enabled. Under Ambient Occlusion setting select your quality of preference, but in order to use HBAO+ you must use Quality or High Quality. Click Apply changes. If you get an error saying access denied when applying the Ambient Occlusion setting, navigate to: "C:\ProgramData\NVIDIA Corporation" and delete the folder named "Drs". If there is no Drs folder then create it, this will fix the error.

Input

Input settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration		Enabled by default; see Mouse acceleration.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support		Native XInput controller support.
Full controller support		Partial support
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers

Generic/other controllers

Mouse acceleration

Disable mouse acceleration
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\fallout.ini Find the section: [Controls] Add the lines: fForegroundMouseAccelBase=0 fForegroundMouseAccelTop=0 fForegroundMouseBase=0 fForegroundMouseMult=0

Audio

Audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Music, footsteps, voice, effects and radio.
Surround sound		In-game Audio, up to 7.1 output Cutscene Audio is 2.0.
Subtitles		Shows one subtitle at a time.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support		Use DSOAL to enable true binaural sound. Does not require a sound card.
Royalty free audio		Combination of original and licensed music.

May require DirectSound3D restoration software to restore proper audio functionality on Vista and later (Included in HRTF mod).

Localizations

The German version only includes the German language.

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Simplified Chinese				Fan translation by «BN13».
Czech				Retail only.
French
German
Hungarian				Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Italian
Polish				Retail only, only the base game is dubbed. Patch for digital release here.
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation: download.
Russian				Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Spanish				Improved translation is available here.

VR support

3D modes	State	GG3D	Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision			Use Helix Mod: Fallout 3 for better 3D support.
TriDef 3D
vorpX		G3D, DirectVR Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.

Devices
3RD Space Gaming Vest

Issues unresolved

Drop button & functionality stops working

when using a controller the drop button dissappears from the inventory preventing the player from dropping items,

Microsoft Store game download is unusually big

The download will attempt to install the English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish single-language versions at the same time, resulting in a 43 GB download.
Any unnecessary versions can be deleted after the download has finished.

Issues fixed

Epic Games game download is unusually big

Exclude other languages with legendary

On the Epic Games Store version, the user can set up the Legendary Games Launcher with the command legendary download --exclude "Fallout 3 GOTY French" --exclude "Fallout 3 GOTY German" --exclude "Fallout 3 GOTY Italian" --exclude "Fallout 3 GOTY Spanish" adeae8bbfc94427db57c7dfecce3f1d4 to download the English version only. For other languages, replace the desired language from the aforementioned command with English.

Game crashes randomly

The most common fix required for this game.

Not required for the GOG.com version or the latest Steam version.

Multiple core CPU fix
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\FALLOUT.ini Change bUseThreadedAI=0 to bUseThreadedAI=1 Make a new line after it and add iNumHWThreads=2 If the game still crashes, try iNumHWThreads=1

Game crashes on start-up

Ensure that logging into GFWL is possible (retail only)[citation needed] In case of any problems, run Fallout 3 in compatibility mode - Windows XP SP3, and GFWL installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

Disable other monitors[citation needed]

If the game is crashing on start-up, disabling any other monitors in use could resolve this. Right-click on the desktop and select Screen Resolution from the context menu. In the Screen Resolution Control Panel, click on the drop-down list labeled "Multiple Displays" and select "Show desktop only on 1" (or the monitor you wish to run the game on). Click apply then on the pop-up window click "Keep changes".

Change FalloutPrefs.ini to match the current GPU[citation needed]

If fallout3.exe does nothing when trying to open it, FalloutPrefs.ini may be referencing an old GPU. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winsat Open the entry named PrimaryAdapterString and copy the text, it should be something similar to AMD Radeon R9 200 Series for AMD cards Edit %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\falloutprefs.ini Change sD3DDevice to your PrimaryAdapterString It should look something like this sD3DDevice="AMD Radeon R9 200 Series"

Crash when starting new game or loading save

Unsupported IGPUs and Windows 10 AU: use graphics bypass

Reset codecs
Check if renaming <path-to-game>\Data\Music or <path-to-game>\Data\Video solves the issue. If so, fix codecs.

Run as administrator[citation needed]

Game keeps minimizing

Caused by the cursor being active in the background (and clicking icons, links, buttons etc.)

Disable visual themes and desktop composition

Certain non-conversation voices, such as museum exhibits and random speech, are too quiet

Editing the config file[citation needed]
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\fallout.ini Edit fFilterdBAttenuation=11.5 to 0

Pip-Boy radio skipping or stuttering

Commonly caused by an issue with the current MP3 codec, the format used exclusively by songs played through Pip-Boy radio.

The music may not be stuttering when the game is minimized, with the song played normally.

Use DSOAL[citation needed]

Fix for Creative X-Fi soundcards[citation needed]

Try the Audio Codec fix for game crashes first, if your Pip-Boy radio still skips (test with the enclave channel) owners of a creative soundcard may find that this helps. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\fallout.ini Edit iAudioCacheSize=2048 to 4096. Install the latest ALchemy. Add Fallout 3 to Creative Alchemy: select Use Registry Path and point it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout3\Installed Path. Do not install to subfolder. Settings should be: Buffers=10; Duration=5; Maximum Voice Count=128. Leave direct music enabled.

Use IndirectSound

Disable MP3 decoding in LAV Splitter Configuration
Might work with similar codec packs, for example ffdshow. Open LAV Splitter Configuration program by finding the shortcut in the Start Menu. In Input Formats tab, find mp3 codec and uncheck it.

Set LAV Audio as preferred DirectShow MP3 decoder
Might work with similar codec packs, for example ffdshow. Download and open CodecTweakTool. Go to Preferred decoders under Win7DSFilterTweaker. Under 32-bit decoders find MP3 and switch it to LAV Audio (or any other non-Microsoft decoder).

Crash when leaving Rivet City marketplace

Use UPDATED Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch version 1.3 or greater[citation needed]
See UUF3P Instructions

Use fixed Broken Steel patch[citation needed]
Go to <path-to-game>\Data Replace the file Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - Broken Steel.esp with the one found here

Game hangs on closing

Disable threaded audio[citation needed]
Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3\FALLOUT.ini Change bMultiThreadAudio=1 to bMultiThreadAudio=0

Game hangs a few seconds after loading

Disable Creative Alchemy if no Creative soundcard present[citation needed]
This might occur if you had a Creative soundcard installed at any point, then removed it. Run Creative ALchemy. Ensure that Fallout 3 is not in the "ALchemy-enabled Games" column.

Game becomes unresponsive after Alt+Tab ↹

Enable borderless fullscreen
Install One Tweak mod.

Save games missing

If logged into Games for Windows LIVE, the game will save in the Games for Windows LIVE folder corresponding to the currently logged-in username. If logged out of the service, the game will be unable to locate the saves.^{[citation needed]}

Retrieve Missing Saves[citation needed]

Go to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Fallout3. Search in the subfolders for your latest saves. If you were not logged in while saving, the saves will be found in the Saves folder. If you were logged in, the saves will be under your Games for Windows LIVE folder. Copy the files out to either folder (your username if you plan on logging in each time, or the Saves folder if you do not). Once you restart the game, your saves should now be detected.

Greyed out options in the launcher

Add/Fix path in Windows registry
Open regedit. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout3. Create the key if it does not exist. Create a new string value named Installed Path, if it doesn't exist already. Set its contents to <path-to-game> with a trailing backslash (e.g. C:\GOG Games\Fallout 3\).

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c
Shader Model support	3.0

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	Havok
Audio	DirectSound
Cutscenes	Bink Video	1.7d

Modifications

See Essential improvements for modifications that fix bugs and improve performance.

Several useful modding guides are listed below.

• A comprehensive tweak guide can be found here.
• A first playthrough friendly modding guide can be found here.
• A more extensive guide that covers all kind of mods can be found here.

Mod managers

Mod managers simplify mod installation, among various additional features and are optional.

• Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM) - basic mod manager with a simple user interface, suitable for beginners.
• Vortex - official mod manager made by Nexus Mods.
• Mod Organizer - powerful mod manager with mod virtualization, keeping the game installation folder vanilla. Features a configuration editor.
• BOSS - allows for one-click mod sorting. Not updated since 2016, but perfectly fine for adding essential patches and fixes.
• Load Order Optimisation Tool (LOOT) - once all mods have been installed, run this program a single time to ensure the optimal load order. Provides plugin-specific messages, including usage notes, Bash Tag suggestions, requirements, incompatibilities, bug warnings and installation mistake notifications. Supports the sorting of plugins ghosted by the Wrye Bash utility, is highly customizable, and has been translated into multiple languages.

Utilities

• Fallout 3 Script Extender (FOSE) - extends the scripting capabilities of Fallout 3's game engine (required by many mods). Automatically disables Games for Windows - LIVE (GFWL). Normal Russian and Polish DVD retail copies, Direct2Drive copies, and the unpatched game (1.0.0.12) are all unsupported. The Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store versions require the Fallout Anniversary Patcher. The latest Steam version (v1.7.0.4) is not compatible with FOSE and needs to be downgraded to 1.7.0.3 to be compatible.
• ArchiveInvalidation Invalidated - eliminates the need for ArchiveInvalidation.txt
• FO3Edit - an advanced graphical module viewer/editor and conflict detector. Can be used to view, detect conflicts, and edit module files.
• BethINI - optimizes the game's INI files for increased graphical fidelity and performance. It is recommended to configure graphic settings from this program instead of the original game's launcher. Vsync must be disabled in order to not conflict with the multi-core mod mentioned in Essential improvements section.
• Fallout Anniversary Patcher - a patcher / downgrader tool that downgrades the Steam version of the game from 1.7.0.4 to 1.7.0.3, which is widely supported by mods, most notably FOSE. Also automatically removes Games for Windows Live, makes the game large address aware and fixes a file handle limit and mod limit bug.
• Games for Windows - LIVE Disabler - removes login delay for the now-defunct GFWL service, reducing startup time. Requires game version v1.1 or higher.
• FO3 BSA Decompressor - decompresses the game’s BSA files and repacks them without compression, resulting in increased performance and reduced stuttering.

Unofficial patches

• Updated Unofficial Fallout 3 Patch - fixes hundreds of bugs not covered by the official patches. Constantly updated and maintained (as of 2022). If any of the 5 DLCs aren't present, an older bugged version will be installed.
• Water Edges Fix - fixes transparency and flickering glitches with the game's water.
• Female Pip-Boy Fix - fixes Pip-Boy arm-clipping on female characters.
• Pip-Boy Mesh Fix - fixes unintentional gaps present in the Pip-Boy mesh
• Point Lookout Horizon fix - fixes bugged horizon in Point Lookout DLC.
• ActorCause Save Bloat Fix - removes unnecessary bloat from save files, thereby reducing save file sizes by up to 30% and decreasing the time taken to load and save games
• Feral Ghoul Dialogue Restoration - fixes the playback of a voice line that wouldn't play due to an incorrect line in game's code
• Enable Multi-Core Threading - enables more than two physical cores to be utilized. If a fast cursor issue appears, apply this fix.
• Fallout 3 Heap Replacer - replaces in-game heap with a better-optimized version. Decreases load times, alleviates stutter and slightly improves frame rate.

Script Extender Plugins

The following mods require Fallout 3 Script Extender (FOSE).

• New Vegas Anti-Crash (NVAC) - released for Fallout: New Vegas, but also works for Fallout 3. Implements structured exception handling and sanity-checking to reduce frequency of game crashes.
• Combat Lag Fix - fixes an engine bug that lowers frame rate during combat.
• Fallout 3 Tick Fix - alleviates the game's micro-stuttering.
• Mod Limit Fix - raises the game's 120 plugin limit to 255. Can also cause an increase in FPS, remove game stutter, and allow for faster loading times (especially when using a large number of mods).
• Out-of-Memory Fix - decreases overall RAM usage and eliminates errors occurring when using large textures.
• Command Extender - fixes various engine bugs.
• High Resolution Water Fog - Water Aliasing Fix - increases resolution of water depth render target
• IStewieAI's Tweaks - an esp-less collection of quality-of-life improvements in one file with INI settings to enable tweaks.

Overhauls

• Tale of Two Wastelands - total conversion of Fallout 3 and its DLC to the Fallout: New Vegas engine, allowing both games to be played on a single save file. along with the improvements New Vegas' engine brings in regards to stability and modding. Requires Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition and Fallout: New Vegas - Ultimate Edition. The mod is currently in beta and is generally considered stable. Installation guide by GamerPoets.

User interface

• Vanilla UI Plus (VUI+) - overhauls the user interface without compromising the original style. Supports high-resolution scaling for mods that upscale the game's HUD elements.
• Consistent Pip-Boy Icons - remasters around 3,600 of the vanilla icons for higher resolutions, and fixes consistency issues of the original icons in regards to transparency, sizes etc. Released for Fallout: New Vegas, but also works for Fallout 3. The version on the original mod page can only be installed with Mod Organizer and includes non-vanilla icons.
• Vanilla HUD Cleaned - remasters text and other vanilla HUD elements. Requires Vanilla UI Plus.
• High Resolution Screens Increases the render resolution of in-game screens (Pipboy, terminals, character creation menu) to match game's screen resolution.

Texture packs

• Crisp Main Menu and Loading Screens - remasters the game's loading screen and main menu artwork.
• HD DLC Loading Screens - remasters DLC loading-screens (not covered in mod above)
• Pip-Boy 3000 HD Retexture - remasters the texture of the Pip-Boy 3000 without compromising original's style.

Miscellaneous

• Personal Achievements Log - adds in-game achievements (the same ones found on the console and GFWL versions). If installed in the middle of a playthrough, a holotape will be placed outside of Vault 101, which upon picking up, unlocks any achievements the player has already met the requirements for.
• CASM - periodically saves the game in rotating slots, but not at dangerous times. Recommended over vanilla game's autosaves, which are prone to corruption.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon 64 4000+	Intel Core 2 Duo AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+
System memory (RAM)	1 GB (XP) 2 GB (Vista)	2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	7 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon X850 Nvidia GeForce 6800 256 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible	ATI Radeon HD 3800 Nvidia GeForce 8800 512 MB of VRAM
Sound (audio device)	DirectX 9.0c compatible

Fallout 3 is not optimized for Windows 7 and later.