Mod support on consoles has been an exciting new development. But after announcing full mod support for Fallout 4 and Skyrim: Special Edition for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Bethesda said that Sony had roadblocked modding with the PlayStation. It appears the companies have since compromised – mods are coming after all, but only if they use existing assets.
Formerly the sole domain of PC gaming, mods allow users to alter their games to add new content or rework existing art and gameplay. Bethesda’s sprawling RPGs like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are particularly popular with the mod-making community.
Bethesda have been working with Microsoft and Sony to bring mods to their respective consoles. Fallout 4 mods have been available since last Summer on Xbox One. After repeated delays, Bethesda publicly threw up their hands over trying to work with Sony in a post in early September. One month later, it seems they’ve reached an agreement.
“We are excited finally to get modding to our PlayStation fans who have supported us for so long,” Bethesda wrote in a blog post. “We and Sony have worked hard to make this possible. Mods on PlayStation 4 will allow you to modify and create your own content by using our Creation Kit available here.”
This is great news – except for the following sentence that’s quietly inserted: “You will not be able to upload external assets with your PlayStation 4 mods, but you will be able to use any assets that come with the game, as most mods do.”
I’m not the only one that would respectfully disagree that most mods don’t use at least some new assets. That means no new guns, skins, models, etc. That’s a severe compromise, and eliminates the more interesting mods.
Upcoming The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition will launch with mod support on October 28. It will also support Sony’s recently announced PlayStation 4 Pro, and use a native 4k resolution. No specific date was given for Fallout 4’s mod and PlayStation 4 Pro support, but it won’t happen until after Skyrim Special Edition launches.
