Within 48 hours, the modding community mobilized. The “Fallout 4 Downgrader” tool—a script that reverts the game to pre-patch 1.10.163 executable while retaining the new Creation Club content—became essential reading on Reddit and Nexus Mods. Bethesda’s official Discord was flooded with requests for an opt-out branch on Steam (which never materialized).
By mid-May, Bethesda released a hotfix (1.10.164) addressing the most egregious console crashes and re-adding the “weapon debris” toggle. However, the underlying issues for F4SE mods persisted for nearly a month, as the Script Extender team had to reverse-engineer the new executable’s memory addressing. For many mod authors, this was the final straw; several popular mods announced they would not update for the new patch, citing burnout and Bethesda’s lack of communication.
The forums lit up like a Super Mutant Suicider.
Veteran modders fell into two camps:
If you’re on PC and use F4SE (Fallout 4 Script Extender): Do not auto-update. Wait for the F4SE team to release a new build (usually 3-7 days). Set Steam to “Only update when I launch” and launch through your mod manager.
If you’re on console (Xbox/PS4/PS5): You have no choice. The update is mandatory. But here’s the silver lining: the stability improvements actually help on the Series X. My test save with 150 mods on Xbox Series X now holds 60fps in downtown Boston for about 90% of the time. That’s unheard of.
If you’re a vanilla purist: Update without fear. The patch fixes two quest bugs and doesn’t affect the base experience. fallout 4 patch 1.10 163
Patch 1.10.163 is a perfect example of the friction between a developer’s desire to update their backend (Creation Club/Steam Deck) and a player’s desire for stability. Bethesda didn't mean to break your game—they just forgot that Fallout 4 is no longer a game; for many of us, it’s a modding platform.
So, before you launch Steam next time, right-click Fallout 4 > Properties > Updates > "Only update this game when I launch it." Save yourself the headache.
Did you get hit by the 1.10.163 crash? Did you downgrade or power through? Let me know in the comments below.
In the modding community, Fallout 4 version 1.10.163 is widely considered the "gold standard" for stability and mod compatibility. While Bethesda released a "Next-Gen" update (v1.10.980 and later) in April 2024, many veteran players prefer 1.10.163 because it supports the largest library of Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) mods without the bugs introduced by the newer versions. Why Version 1.10.163?
Mod Stability: Most essential gameplay and performance mods were built for this version. The Next-Gen update broke critical plugins, many of which remain unpatched or work better on the older runtime.
Performance: It avoids the stuttering and performance regressions some users report with the Next-Gen "fixes". Within 48 hours, the modding community mobilized
Content Control: It lacks the forced Creation Club content (like "When Pigs Fly") that some players find lore-breaking or unbalanced for early-game progression. How to Get or Revert to 1.10.163
If you have already updated to the Next-Gen version, you can revert using these methods:
is widely considered the "Gold Standard" for PC modding . While it was originally a minor update released in late 2019 to support Creation Club
content, it has gained significant importance as the final stable "Pre-Next Gen" build before the April 2024 Next-Gen update Fallout Wiki Key Features & Contents Virtual Workshop Support : Added the VR Workshop
Creation, allowing players to build in exotic, resource-unlimited landscapes like GNR Plaza and Atomic Crater Creation Club Integration
: Included technical support for late-2019 CC releases, such as the Capital Wasteland Mercenaries CR-74L Combat Rifle Fallout Wiki General Bug Fixes Veteran modders fell into two camps: If you’re
: Minor stability improvements and resolution of specific quest-related hangs ftp.bills.com.au The "Safe Haven" for Modders
For many players, this version is preferred over the newer "Next Gen" (v1.10.984+) updates for several reasons: Mod Stability : It is the most stable version for a vast library of F4SE (Fallout 4 Script Extender) dependent mods Compatibility : Many legendary mods (like Place Everywhere
) were built for v1.10.163 and may have bugs or performance issues on newer versions Performance
: Avoids the "stuttering bug" reported in the Next-Gen update that can occur when loading certain face-generation data in modded setups How to Access v1.10.163
Because Steam automatically updates the game to the newest version, most players must manually revert to this build: Old gen 1.10.163.0 becoming obsolete? : r/Fallout4Mods