v1.2.0 • changelog • how to update
A thorough, beginner-friendly guide for a stable, vanilla-ish experience.
Motivation
Fallout 4 VR sucks quite badly for modern VR standards.
Gameplay is lackluster; graphics, lighting, and performance are bad; and there's plenty of VR-only bugs in addition to
the bugs in vanilla.
As is typical with Bethesda games, you can fix most of that with a whole lot of mods.
The modding scene for FO4VR has evolved a lot over time, and as a result not all tips and tricks you read online are
still accurate.
This guide aims to be comprehensive and beginner-friendly. You can choose to follow it in its entirety, or pick and choose parts for your own list.
Goals
I describe what I did to get a stable, enjoyable, reasonable-looking game.
Other resources, like
GingasVR's excellent overhaul, are
good, but too non-vanilla for my tastes.
Meanwhile, my list only deviates from vanilla when I think there's a very good reason, like replacing VATS with bullet
time because the former just isn't nice in VR.
Limitations
I did my best to make my guide universally applicable to all players.
Still, there's a few limitations which you should keep in mind.
Support
If you're experiencing in-game issues, check the issues and solutions.
If you don't understand something, experience in-game issues, have suggestions, or just need some help, check out the Discussions page or open an issue.
[!TIP] Use the hamburger menu (≡) in the top-right corner to easily navigate between sections.
Table of contents
1 How to read this guide
| 2 Setup
| 3 Configuration
| 4 List of mods
| 5 Playing the game
| 6 Conclusion
| 7 Acknowledgements
This section deals with the basics: Why FO4VR modding is difficult (Section 1.1), how this guide deals with version numbers (Section 1.2), how to pick and choose mods from this guide (Section 1.3), and common abbreviations (Section 1.4).
When I tried FO4VR without mods, I intensely disliked the experience, and decided I wanted to add mods. If you're used to modding Bethesda games, you'll know that it's usually probably fine to just throw a whole bunch of mods together, as long as you follow the authors' directions on what mods are incompatible. Unfortunately, that's not true for FO4VR. The VR version is missing several updates that were released only for the non-VR version, and as a result mods made for the non-VR version may use features that simply don't exist in the VR version. Using mods blindly will result in the game crashing regularly.
Overall, you should lower your expectations when modding FO4VR compared to non-VR FO4. The modding scene just isn't as advanced as that of Skyrim VR. You may find that your favourite mods just don't work very well in FO4VR, and when browsing mods you should always carefully consider whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
This modding guide describes the tradeoffs I made, leaning mostly towards the careful side.
Whenever I mention a tool or a mod, I will write down which version and variant I used. For example, I might write "F4SEVR (v0.6.20)" to mean that I downloaded version 0.6.20 of F4SEVR.
If the version I wrote down is still the latest version when you're reading this, then just use that version. If a newer version exists, and I don't explicitly mention you should download the version I mention, then you'll have to judge for yourself whether it's more likely the update will fix bugs or will add bugs.
Some choices I make are more vanilla than others, and some choices make sense for people who already played Fallout 4, but make no sense for first-time Fallout 4 players. Therefore, I will tag tools and mods to let you know what to expect. Here is a list of tags.
Necessary to make the game worth it in VR. Install this. | |
Good for all players. Install this, unless you seriously disagree. | |
Good, but personal preference. Install if you want. |
Abbreviation | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
FO4VR | Fallout 4 VR | |
FO4AU | Fallout 4: Automatron (the 1st DLC) | |
FO4FH | Fallout 4: Far Harbor (the 3rd DLC) | |
FO4VW | Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop (the 5th DLC) | |
FO4NW | Fallout 4: Nuka-World (the 6th DLC) | |
MO2 | Mod Organizer 2 | |
[fo4_dir] |
Where you installed non-VR FO4 | C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\ |
[fo4vr_dir] |
Where you installed FO4VR | C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4 VR\ |
[username] |
Your Windows username | florine |
Before you can start modding FO4VR, you need to make sure you have a clean install (Section 2.1), have the right software installed (Section 2.2), and, if you want, added the DLC to FO4VR (Section 2.3).
[!TIP] If you haven't installed FO4VR yet, check the software requirements to learn the correct installation directory.
[!NOTE] If you have never installed FO4VR on your computer before, you can skip this section.
If you previously used other mods for FO4VR, make sure those are removed. If you used MO2, make you use a clean MO2 profile, preferably by creating a new profile. If you previously installed mods without a mod manager, make extra sure you completely remove all mods.
You can remove old files as follows.
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Fallout4VR\
directory in its entirety.
This contains old configuration files.The following apply only if you have already installed FO4VR:
Delete the entire [fo4vr_dir]
directory, but
[fo4vr_dir]\Data\Video\
, and[fo4vr_dir]\Data\
that start with Fallout4
.If you cannot find [fo4vr_dir]
, check the abbreviations.
[!WARNING] You should install FO4VR into the right directory. Read this section carefully!
C:\Program Files (x86)\
.
Doing so may result in specific mods/tools unexpectedly failing, because Windows doesn't like it when software
changes things in Program Files (x86)
.C:\
drive,
install FO4VR on another drive as explained in Steam's help
pages.
For performance reasons, you should prefer installing on an SSD.C:\Users\[username]\Steam\
..exe
installer.C:\Users\[username]\MO2\
.FO4VR does not include the DLC, which sucks. Luckily, if you have non-VR FO4, you can just partially downgrade non-VR FO4, copy the DLC files into your FO4VR installation, and install a few patches (included in the mod list). If you don't have non-VR FO4 with DLC, and don't want to buy it, you can safely skip the steps that require DLC.
First, copy non-VR FO4's DLC into FO4VR,
[fo4_dir]\Data\
directory,DLC
, except those that start with DLCUltraHighResolution
, and[fo4vr_dir]\Data\
.Since non-VR FO4's next-gen update, various DLCs are no longer compatible with FO4VR. Luckily, you can still get the old versions of those DLCs using the Steam Console. You will download those, and then overwrite the files you copied earlier.
steam://open/console
in your browser, orsteam://open/console
, and pressing Enter, ordownload_depot 377160 435870 1691678129192680960
download_depot 377160 435871 5106118861901111234
download_depot 377160 435880 1255562923187931216
Depot download complete : "[path]" ([number] files, manifest [id])
.
After each command, go to this [path]
in File Explorer, and copy the Data
directory into [fo4vr_dir]
,
overwriting files when prompted..esm
files at the top of the list, and make sure
all .esm
files are enabled using the respective checkboxes.You should now have the required software. Before you install mods, there's some settings to tweak. These settings relate to stability, visual quality, performance, and general gameplay.
We start by navigating a few settings menus (Section 3.1) and then we do some more detailed adjustments using INI configuration (Section 3.2).
[fo4vr_dir]
, right-click Fallout4VR.exe
, and click "Properties".
Go to "Compatibility" and enable "Disable full-screen optimisations".FO4VR
While in-game in VR, in FO4VR's main menu, go to "Settings" and apply the following settings.
Gameplay
Setting | Value | Tag |
---|---|---|
Difficulty | Survival |
Display
Setting | Value | Tag |
---|---|---|
Floating markers | Off |
VR
I expect the game to work fine if you change the optional settings, but haven't tested that.
Setting | Value | Tag |
---|---|---|
Direct movement | On | |
Pip-Boy location | Projected | |
Comfort vignette while moving | Off | |
Comfort vignette while turning | Off | |
Rotation type | Smooth |
Performance
Setting | Value | Tag |
---|---|---|
Anti-aliasing | TAA | |
Anisotropic filtering | 16 | |
Character lighting | Off |
INI files contain extra game settings that are not found in the game's menus.
To edit these settings,
fallout4custom.ini
.This section covers how INI files work (Section 3.2.1), a collection of INI settings you should add (Section 3.2.2), and external links to additional INI settings (Section 3.2.3).
Take a look at the tab fallout4.ini
to get a feel of what an INI looks like.
INI files obey the following rules.
[Display]
starts a section with display settings.
A section ends when a new section starts.fItemRotationSpeed=0.4
changes the variable fItemRotationSpeed
to have value 0.4
.[Display]
, then start section [VR]
, and then again start section [Display]
, the settings in
the second [Display]
section are ignored.[!IMPORTANT] The following changes should go into
fallout4custom.ini
, which must be edited in MO2. [!IMPORTANT] Make sure each section/variable occurs at most once.
Combined non-optional settings
The block below combines all non-optional INI settings from this section.
You can copy-paste it directly into your fallout4custom.ini
file.
You don't need to keep the old contents, just overwrite it with the block below.
[General]
sLocalSavePath=__MO_Saves\
bUseMyGamesDirectory=1
[Archive]
sResourceDataDirsFinal=
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1
sResourceStartUpArchiveList=Fallout4 - Startup.ba2, Fallout4 - Shaders.ba2, Fallout4 - Interface.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Shaders.ba2
sResourceIndexFileList=Fallout4 - Textures1.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures2.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures3.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures4.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures5.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures6.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures7.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures8.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures9.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Main.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Textures.ba2
[VRDisplay]
fRenderTargetSizeMultiplier=1.0
[HairLighting]
fHairPrimSpecPow=2.0
fHairPrimSpecScale=0.01
fHairPrimSpecShift=0.26
fHairSecSpecScale=0.01
fHairSecSpecPow=2.0
fHairSecSpecShift=0.26
[Display]
fTAAPostSharpen=0.675
fTAASharpen=1.0000
fTAAHighFreq=0.8000
fTAALowFreq=0.5000
fTAAPostOverlay=0.675
uPipboyTargetHeight=1400
uPipboyTargetWidth=1752
[VRUI]
iVRUIRenderTargetHeight=4096
iVRUIRenderTargetWidth=4096
[Controls]
fSprintStopDirectionThresholdDegrees=360.0000
[Workshop]
fItemRotationSpeed=0.4
[VR]
fSwimSpeedScalar=1.2500
fVrSwimDragCoefficient=0.0500
fVrSwimHMDFloatThreshold=0.7200
bVrSwimDeliberateResurface=1
[Menu]
iConsoleSizeScreenPercent=80
iConsoleTextSize=40
Default MO2 settings
[General]
sLocalSavePath=__MO_Saves\
bUseMyGamesDirectory=1
Ensure mods load correctly
[Archive]
sResourceDataDirsFinal=
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1
sResourceStartUpArchiveList=Fallout4 - Startup.ba2, Fallout4 - Shaders.ba2, Fallout4 - Interface.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Shaders.ba2
sResourceIndexFileList=Fallout4 - Textures1.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures2.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures3.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures4.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures5.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures6.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures7.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures8.ba2, Fallout4 - Textures9.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Main.ba2, Fallout4_VR - Textures.ba2
Disable in-game supersampling
To enable supersampling, use the SteamVR settings.
[VRDisplay]
fRenderTargetSizeMultiplier=1.0
Fix glowing hair
Fixes a bug where hair appears with the wrong colour or glows in the dark.
[HairLighting]
fHairPrimSpecPow=2.0
fHairPrimSpecScale=0.01
fHairPrimSpecShift=0.26
fHairSecSpecScale=0.01
fHairSecSpecPow=2.0
fHairSecSpecShift=0.26
Improve TAA performance/quality trade-off
Most other FO4VR guides recommend these same values.
[Display]
fTAAPostSharpen=0.675
fTAASharpen=1.0000
fTAAHighFreq=0.8000
fTAALowFreq=0.5000
fTAAPostOverlay=0.675
Increase Pip-Boy rendering quality
[Display]
uPipboyTargetHeight=1400
uPipboyTargetWidth=1752
Increase UI rendering quality
[VRUI]
iVRUIRenderTargetHeight=4096
iVRUIRenderTargetWidth=4096
Allow sprinting regardless of head orientation
[Controls]
fSprintStopDirectionThresholdDegrees=360.0000
Increase item rotation speed in workshop mode
[Workshop]
fItemRotationSpeed=0.4
Make swimming slightly easier
[VR]
fSwimSpeedScalar=1.2500
fVrSwimDragCoefficient=0.0500
fVrSwimHMDFloatThreshold=0.7200
bVrSwimDeliberateResurface=1
Increase dev console legibility
[Menu]
iConsoleSizeScreenPercent=80
iConsoleTextSize=40
Set move direction relative to headset instead of controller
[VRInput]
bUseWandDirectionalMovement=0
Disable in-game tutorial notifications
[Interface]
bShowTutorials=0
Above are the INI settings that I used. There's many more settings you can tweak. Here's a bunch of other resources that may be useful for you.
[!NOTE] Make sure you know what the abbreviations mean and understand the relevance of version numbers.
[!TIP] Use the hamburger menu (≡) in the top-right corner to easily navigate between sections.
First of all, here's a few required mods/tools. These are essentially toolkits that directly alter the game engine, and are required by many other mods.
[!IMPORTANT] These mods should be installed manually. They should not be installed with MO2.
[!IMPORTANT] These mods should be installed into
[fo4vr_dir]
, not into[fo4vr_dir]\Data\
.
F4SEVR (v0.6.20)
This is a framework that allows modders to write custom scripts. Many other mods require this.
[fo4vr_dir]
.f4sevr_1_2_72.dll
in the same directory as
Fallout4VR.exe
.
If this is not the case, you probably created the directory [fo4vr_dir]\f4sevr_0_6_20\
, and you should copy
the contents of that directory into [fo4vr_dir]
.Post-installation instructions:
Always launch F4SEVR, and always launch through MO2.
Do not launch through Steam.
Otherwise, your mods will not load.
The following steps will tell MO2 how to launch F4SEVR.
Fallout4VR.exe
with f4sevr_loader.exe
, andTo launch F4SEVR (and thus the game) from MO2, click the dropdown menu with "Fallout 4 VR" and select "F4SEVR". Then simply press "Run".
fo4vr_contrast_adaptive_sharpening_v2.7z
.[fo4vr_dir]
.
When prompted, choose to overwrite existing files.fo4_openvr.cfg
in the same directory as Fallout4VR.exe
.vrperfkit_v0.3.zip
.[fo4vr_dir]
.
When prompted, choose to overwrite existing files.vrperfkit.yml
in the same directory as Fallout4VR.exe
.vrperfkit.yml
, open it with Notepad, and change method: cas
to
method: fsr
.
(If you skip this step, you'll probably get a black screen inside your headset.)[fo4vr_dir]
.IpHlpAPI.dll
in the same directory as Fallout4VR.exe
.[fo4vr_dir]
.x3daudio1_7.dll
in the same directory as Fallout4VR.exe
.[!NOTE] From now on, all listed mods should be downloaded and installed through MO2.
These mods provide utilities used in other mods. These do not affect your game directly, but are required by many other mods.
These mods fix bugs, either in the base game or in other mods.
FO4VR is notorious for having sub-par performance. The following mods help improve performance. If you notice after some playing that you have high FPS, you can consider disabling these for (arguably) more surrounding more detail around you.
Personally, I eventually disabled these because I preferred higher graphical quality, but they may be useful for you.
By default, the world looks really overexposed, which makes the outside like outright ugly. I used a combination of mods recommended by dropadred, as described in this thread.
The sound is actually fine in VR. However, it doesn't hurt to improve sound effects for VR, and to add more high-quality music.
The UI in VR is unintuitive to navigate, and the key bindings shown in the UI are usually incorrect. Unfortunately, there are currently no good UI mods for VR. FallUI (v2.2.1) sort of works, but suffers from a variety of bugs in VR, like bad contrast between text and background, menus being too small, and some VR-only menus not being replaced at all. MCM (v1.39) also doesn't work; mods that use MCM are fine, but you can't configure them through MCM. What we're left with is a single UI mod, which actually works fine.
interface
, and delete the
file MultiActivateMenu.swf
.
This fixes a VR-specific bug where no icons are shown when talking with followers.Combat in VR is a mixed experience. Many parts are fine, but a few important parts are very, very wrong. The following selection of mods is a combination of important fixes and subjective rebalancing.
Fallout 4 is not a difficult game, even at higher difficulties. In VR, it only gets easier. Mods in this category affect the difficulty. Some (but not all) of them assume you play in Survival mode, which I recommend you do anyway.
I think Fallout 4's settlements are very flawed. In VR, they are not necessarily more flawed, so the mods in this section aren't VR-specific. However, several of these mods require VR-specific tweaks. That said, this entire section is recommended, because the VR experience is no worse than the non-VR experience with or without these. If you don't intend to engage with settlements at all, you can skip this section.
[!CAUTION] If you install Sim Settlements, you must choose version 4.1.7. Newer versions do not work.
[!CAUTION] On the left-hand side of MO2, make sure UFO4P and FRIK remain disabled until you have exited the vault.
[!TIP] Sort your load order one more time, just to be sure. On the right-hand side of MO2, go to the "Plugins" tab, and click "Sort".
[!NOTE] In MO2, in the list of plugins, some plugins will be crossed out (with
strikethrough). This is just MO2's weird way of informing you that it's a textures-only plugin. Ignore the strikethrough, and keep the plugin enabled.
You're almost there! You should now have a good selection of mods from the previous selection installed. You should have installed all required mods, probably several recommended mods, and maybe some optional mods.
In this section you will learn about a few quirks of FO4VR and this mod list that you should be aware of (Section 5.1), configure your control scheme (Section 5.2), complete the game's prologue (Section 5.3), and finally configure a few final mods in-game (Section 5.4). After that, I promise you can play at your leisure.
This section describes some common issues, their solutions, and how to prevent them from happening in the first place.
If FO4VR doesn't start, your mods don't load, or things just don't go the way they should, this is the right place to start. I recommend you check these in the order presented here. Even if something seems unrelated, it's worth a try checking it anyway. After all, if you already knew what the cause of your troubles was, you wouldn't be checking this list.
fallout4custom.ini
(and not another file), you have to edit it through MO2 (not through File
Explorer), you have to include the required parts (don't skip them), and you have to make sure
your INI file is valid (or some settings will be ignored)..esm
files or .esp
files left disabled.
To check if any plugins are disabled, open MO2 and go to the "Plugins" tab on the right-hand side.
A plugin is disabled if the checkbox next to it is unchecked.
To enable it, click the checkbox.F4SE\Plugins\FRIK_weapon_offsets\FRIK_weapon_offsets\
.You may be interested in adding mods that aren't listed in this guide. Here's a small list of things to keep in mind if you choose to do so. This list is not complete, and is not foolproof. If things go wrong, I cannot help you.
[!NOTE] This section applies to Valve Index controllers only.
With the game running, with your headset on, open the SteamVR overlay. Select "Controller bindings", select "Choose another", and select "Fallout VR Essential Bindings". Unfortunately, even after configuring your controls, button prompts in the game will not show correctly. You'll have to learn the buttons by heart. This is mostly a case of trial and error.
You can complete the prologue normally, though the experience can be somewhat buggy. Here's a small list of troubleshooting tips.
Now that you've finished the prologue, it's time to configure a few final mods.
As soon as you exit Vault 111, you'll receive a magazine from Backpacks of the Commonwealth. After that, you'll also be prompted to enter the spawn rate. Enter the recommended rate of 0%.
[!WARNING] Make sure UFO4P and FRIK remain disabled until you have exited the vault.
Exit the game completely (which creates an exit save, which can be loaded only once), enable UFO4P and FRIK in MO2, re-sort your mods, then re-launch the game, and load your exit save.
Open your inventory, go to Misc, and use the holotape "FRIK Configuration". Apply the following settings. You will need to re-open the holotape several times.
[!NOTE] You can skip these settings if you don't play on survival difficulty.
Find a chemistry station and craft the holotape "[Settings] Survival Options Holotape", found under "Utility". (You can find a chemistry station in Sanctuary Hills.) Next, open your inventory, go to Misc, and use the holotape you crafted. Apply the following settings.
Category | Option | Value |
---|---|---|
Combat Options | Incoming Damage Multiplier | 3.0 |
Outgoing Damage Multiplier | 1.0 | |
Save Options > Cell Change Save Options | Toggle | Current:On |
Change To | Current:Autosave | |
Save Options > Timed Save Options | Toggle | Current:On |
Change To | Current:Autosave | |
Interval | 7 Minutes | |
Save Options > Level Up Save Options | Toggle | Current:On |
Change To | Current:Autosave |
Finally, if you are doing a survival playthrough, in the same holotape, under the "Save Options" menu, select "Give Save Item". This will add a "Save Item" to your inventory, to be found under Aid. Favourite the item and put it on your favourite wheel so you can save whenever you want.
Find a chemistry station and craft the holotape "[Settings - Bullet Time VATS]". (You can find a chemistry station in Sanctuary Hills.) Open your inventory, go to Misc, and use the holotape you crafted. Apply the following settings.
Option | Value |
---|---|
Time Dilation | 50% |
Movement Settings Menu > "In Bullet Time V.A.T.S." use | DIRECT MOVE |
To activate Campsite, you'll need to find a book somewhere in Sanctuary. Once you've found the book, you'll be able to craft camping items at any chemistry workbench.
Sim Settlements can only be configured after you've played the game a bit. Specifically, you'll need to reach the Museum of Freedom, which is one of the earlier storyline locations anyway. Inside, you can find the Sim Settlements holotape.
After having picked up the holotape, open your inventory, go to Misc, and use the holotape "City Manager 2078 Holotape". Answer the questions to configure Sim Settlements. (If the prompt becomes invisible, just skip through it. The actions below will override those choices.)
After having answered these questions, use the holotape again, and select the following options.
Optionally, using the City Planner's Desk (aim to the left of the City Plan blueprint), craft a Packed City Planner's Desk (found under "Tools") and, using a Chemistry Station, craft a Packed Logistics Desk (found under "Utility"), so you can quickly set up new settlements whenever you find one.
[!NOTE] You can disable or skip the cutscene that plays when the settlement is initialising. However, you then run the risk of breaking the script if you leave the settlement before the script is finished. If the cutscene makes you nauseous, I recommend simply taking off your headset and checking your monitor when it's done.
The essential parts of this mod require zero configuration. However, if you want to easily move items between settlements, you'll need to tell this mod what your main settlement is. (Don't worry, you can always easily and safely choose a new main settlement.)
From now on, to move items between settlements, simply interact with a Logistics Locker.
That's it! I hope this guide was useful for you :-)
If you don't understand something, experience in-game issues, have suggestions, or just need some help, check out the Discussions page or open an issue.
I want to thank everyone who contributed something to my FO4VR guide, no matter the size of that contribution.
In chronological order of contribution:
If I should add, remove, or change anything here, just open an issue or email me!