Fallout 76 Finally Has a Native PS5 Version, and It's Free — Here's How to Get It

For its entire life on PlayStation 5, Fallout 76 has been a PS4 game running through backwards compatibility. As of 15 September, it is not.

The native PS5 version is live, and it is a genuine generational upgrade rather than a patch to the old build.

What changes

• PS5: up to 1440p at a 60fps target, with improved draw distance and shadows, and VRR support on compatible displays.
• PS5 Pro: up to 4K at 60fps.

Is it free?

Yes. The upgrade is free for every existing owner, however you got the game — a retail copy, a digital purchase, or PlayStation Plus Extra. There is no paid edition and no upgrade fee.

How to get it

There was some confusion over this in August, when Bethesda described the 15 September update as a "Gen 9 boost" and some players took that to mean the native version had slipped. It had not: the native apps launched on 15 September.

To switch over, Bethesda has advised players to:

1. Uninstall the existing PS4 version of Fallout 76.
2. Download the PS5 version from the PlayStation Store or your game library.

Fallout 76 characters are stored online rather than in a local save file, so progress is tied to your account rather than to the install. Even so, if you have anything you cannot afford to lose, confirm your character appears in the new version before you delete the old one.

What else launched

The native version shipped alongside The Slasher, a free multi-week horror storyline in which players investigate a series of brutal killings possibly tied to a pre-war serial killer. Rewards include unique power armor and a melee weapon.

Season 26, "Beware the Blood Moon", also started, with themed outfits, power armor paint and camp decorations — plus a new system that lets you work on older seasons alongside the current one. And more than 80 weapons now accept legendary mods at the workbench.

Worth jumping back in?

If Fallout 76 is sitting in your PS Plus Extra library and you bounced off it on PS4-era performance, this is the best version of it that has ever existed on PlayStation — and it costs nothing to find out.