Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition (2025): Best PC Settings, Mods & Fixes for Maximum FPS and Stability

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The Commonwealth is calling again—and it’s more crowded than ever.

With the Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition update bringing next-gen upgrades, Creation Club bundles, and hundreds of returning players, performance has become the new endgame boss.

From ultra-wide HUD issues to broken mods and inconsistent framerates, this edition can test even the most powerful PCs. But don’t nuke your setup just yet—because this guide has every tweak, setting, and mod you need to turn Fallout 4 AE into a buttery-smooth experience.

Whether you’re revisiting Vault 111 or starting fresh, here’s how to survive the modern wasteland without the lag.

What Changed in the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition (Nov 2025 Update)

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition: Best PC Settings Guide
Before diving into performance tweaks, let’s recap what’s actually new in the Anniversary Edition—because this patch changed more than just visuals.

  • Full Next-Gen Support: Native 60 FPS and 4K options for PC and consoles.

  • New Creations Menu: Integrated mod manager for official Creation Club content.

  • Ultrawide & 32:9 Support: Fixed HUD scaling for modern monitors.

  • Improved Lighting & Shadows: Enhanced rendering pipeline for better visual fidelity.

  • Stability Fixes: Reduced crashes and load errors on newer systems.

  • 150+ Creation Club Add-ons: New quests, weapons (like the Anti-Material Rifle and BFG), companions, and armor skins.

💡 However, this update also changed the game’s executable, which broke many core mods—especially those using the Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE). So, if you’re heavily modded, read the next section carefully before updating.

Top 5 Performance Killers After the Anniversary Patch

These are the biggest FPS drains in Fallout 4 AE—disable or tweak them to see immediate gains.

  1. Weapon Debris – TURN OFF

    • Causes GPU crashes, especially on RTX cards.

    • Disabling it can recover up to 15 FPS and prevent instant driver resets.

  2. Godrays – Set to Low or Off

    • Minimal visual benefit, heavy CPU load.

    • Going from Ultra → Low can boost 10–20 FPS.

  3. Shadow Distance – Set to Medium

    • Major CPU hog in Boston and settlement zones.

    • Medium keeps a natural look while easing stutter.

  4. Decal Quantity – Medium or Low

    • Too many bullet holes or blood splatters tank FPS.

    • Lowering this helps especially in large firefights.

  5. V-Sync & Framerate Cap – Cap at 60 FPS

    • Fallout 4’s physics are tied to framerate.

    • Uncapped FPS can cause objects to fly or dialogues to speed up.

    • Use GPU control panel for capping if needed.

Quick Settings Table: Best Visuals per Hardware Tier

Hardware TierResolutionPresetShadow DistanceGodraysNotes
Budget (GTX 1650 / RX 580)1080pMediumMediumLowDisable weapon debris
Mid-Tier (RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT)1440pHighMediumLowEnable TAA + sharpen via GPU
High-End (RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 XT)4KUltraHighMediumUse Dynamic Resolution ON

💡 Tip: Always restart the game after major graphics changes for the engine to properly apply settings.

Advanced Performance Tweaks (.ini File Fixes)

For PC players comfortable with config edits, you can squeeze out extra stability with these Fallout4Prefs.ini changes:

  1. Shadow Draw Distance

    fDirShadowDistance=4000.0000
fShadowDistance=4000.0000

    Reduces shadow rendering overhead, smooths frame dips.

  2. Disable Godrays Completely

    bVolumetricLightingEnable=0

  3. Multithreading Boost

    iNumHWThreads=8
bUseThreadedAI=1

    Ensures Fallout 4 uses multiple CPU cores effectively.

  4. FOV and Interface Tweaks (Optional)

    fDefaultWorldFOV=90
fDefault1stPersonFOV=90

    Improves visibility, especially on ultrawide monitors.

GPU Control Panel & Windows Tweaks

  • NVIDIA Users:

    • Set Power Management Mode → Prefer Maximum Performance.

    • Turn off Low Latency Mode (Fallout 4 already has CPU bottlenecks).

    • Use Image Sharpening to fix TAA blur.

  • AMD Users:

    • Enable Radeon Image Sharpening.

    • Set Anti-Lag = ON for smoother input.

    • Use Enhanced Sync for reduced tearing.

  • Windows Optimization:

    • Turn Game Mode ON.

    • Disable Xbox Game Bar and Background Recording.

    • Run Fallout4.exe as Administrator for stability.

Must-Have Performance Mods (2025 Edition)

These community-tested mods fix what the engine can’t:

  1. Buffout 4 (Updated for AE)

    • Essential stability patch fixing memory leaks and CTDs.

    • Required for most modern modlists.
      🔗 NexusMods: Buffout 4

  2. High FPS Physics Fix

    • Lets you safely uncap framerate above 60 FPS.

    • Crucial for 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors.

  3. PreVis Repair Pack (PRP)

    • Fixes the downtown Boston stutter by restoring pre-combined meshes.

    • Huge FPS improvement for city exploration.

  4. Optimized Vanilla Textures (PhyOp)

    • Reduces texture size and VRAM usage with negligible quality loss.

    • Perfect for mid-range GPUs.

  5. Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) (Watch for Compatibility)

    • Many mods (like MCM, Sim Settlements 2) require it.

    • Check for AE-compatible version before updating.

Modding Warning: Script Extender Breakage & Rollback Option

Bethesda’s Anniversary patch updated the game’s runtime, which broke the existing F4SE. Until modders release compatible versions:

  • Check your essential mods (MCM, Place Everywhere, etc.) for AE compatibility.

  • If you use over 100 mods or large frameworks, delay updating Fallout 4.

  • You can roll back to the pre-Anniversary build on Steam using the “Depots” method—many guides on Nexus walk you through this.

🧠 Pro Tip: Always back up your Fallout 4 folder before applying updates.

Optimized Settings for High-Refresh and Ultrawide Monitors

  • Fallout 4 AE now supports native 21:9 and 32:9 displays—no more stretched HUDs.

  • For 120 Hz+ monitors, use High FPS Physics Fix and cap FPS to 120 FPS max.

  • Set Windowed Borderless mode for the most stable experience.

5-Point Quick Fix Checklist

✅ Disable Weapon Debris & Godrays
✅ Cap FPS at 60 (120 with mod)
✅ Install Buffout 4 + PRP
✅ Edit shadow distances in .ini
✅ Use Optimized Texture Pack

These five steps alone can eliminate most crashes and stutter in Fallout 4 AE.

Conclusion: Conquer the Commonwealth, Not the Stutter

The Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition might be the most content-rich version ever, but without the right setup, it can turn your rig into a nuclear meltdown. With these optimized settings, mods, and tweaks, you’ll finally experience the Commonwealth as it was meant to be—smooth, stable, and spectacular.

So tune your Pip-Boy, lock in those settings, and step out of Vault 111 once again.

The wasteland looks better than ever—and now it runs better, too.  

🔗 Community Links & Resources

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