There are a ton of Fallout 4 VR mods out there since it launched on the first generation of consumer VR headsets back in 2017, most of which you can find on NexusMods. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that makes the game less of a port and more of a native VR experience though, modder and streamer GingasVR just released a comprehensive modpack that is essentially a survivalist’s dream come true.
The modlist, aptly named ‘GingasVR’s Fallout VR Essentials Overhaul’, includes a bevy of optimizations that aim to fix some of the biggest gripes of Bethesda’s less-than-perfect VR port.
Not only does the modlist bring stability to a majority of the Commonwealth, which includes interior locations, but it also features things like a more intuitive Pip-Boy UI, smarter AI (including companions), and bunch of other things that make the Wasteland a more dangerous place. Bullets are actually rare, enemies are more crafty, and as GingasVR puts it: “you WILL die.”
One of the biggest limiters to everyone grabbing this modlist right now is that it requires not only the VR version of the game, but all official DLCs from the flatscreen version of Fallout 4 from Steam, all of which are included in the Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition. You can grab that for under $15 if you’re looking in the right place at the right time (eg: Greenman Gaming, periodic sales on Steam, etc).
To GingasVR, the reason for requiring all DLC isn’t just about making a more visually pleasing experience, but rather making it a more immersive survival RPG experience by bringing a level of danger to the game which you might expect, well, when having to scrounge through a post-apocalyptic world filled with mutated malefactors.
This overhaul is NOT easy, this is meant to be an immersive survival rpg. You can customize things to your liking but the default is a game where there is NO Compass and NO HUD. VATS is turned into BULLET TIME (No auto targeting) The AI is also SMART and WILL USE TACTICS against you, Combat is FAST PACED and DANGEROUS there WILL be Random Ambushes! Radiation is actually deadly.
Provided you do have all DLC, you can get started by closely following GingasVR’s comprehensive guide on how to install the modlist using Wabbajack, an automated modlist downloader. Still, automated downloader or not, installing the modlist requires a fair bit of configuration before you can start stalking the Commonwealth, and an SSD with at least 85 GB to spare.
If that seems daunting, take a look at a list of improvements available in GingasVR’s modlist which ought to wash down the bitter pill of having to mess with system settings:
- Optimization and Stability in the majority of Commonwealth as well as interior locations.
- DLC Fixes
- Auto-Eating and drinking in Survival – 2D menus suck in VR (This mitigates the issue but food and drinks will NOT heal you)
- Survival Manual Saves
- Customizable HUD with as much or little HUD elements as you want
- Survival Fast Travel from Settlements (Can also be customized to Fast travel from anywhere)
- Hand Model and better VR Pip-Boy Interaction
- Sim Settlements And Conqueror ( Complete Auto Build Settlements and ability to raid- CAN be customized or turned off)
- BULLET TIME made SPECIFICALLY for the VR version of VATS
- Edited and custom made perks So that Perception isn’t useless with bullet time and accuracy changes
- Complete Accurate VR Weapons
- Reduced loot to realistic levels for the setting (Finding bullets is actually a rare commodity now)
- Smart AI (PANPC, Arbitration)
- Smart Companions (Better Companions, More Smarter Companions)
- Companion Whistle
- Every NPC can be killed (Including Kids and Essential NPCS – Only Unlocked after going down the “Evil Path”)
- Traveling NPCs
- New Guns (Too many to list and all of them work – BE CAREFUL if trying to add other weapon mods)
- New Quests and Locations ( Interesting NPCS, Stumble upon Interiors, Heather Casidian)
- Easy hacking and Easy lockpicking
- New weather from True Storms and Vivid Weather
- New Optimized Textures
- Darker Nights
- Health changes, live dismemberment and non-bullet sponge enemies
- New Radio Stations
- New Music and no combat music
- Better Blood
- Stalkers that will periodically hunt you down and try to kill you (Can be customized or turned off- you can also run away and they’ll get bored of you)
- Ability to increase carry weight with in-game progression
- New Sound effects
- VR Mirror to see yourself in 3rd person (Only possible with this list- Unavailable anywhere else)
- And A lot more.
What’s your favorite, most essential mod for Fallout 4 VR? Let us known in the comments below!