Bethesda confirms that the upcoming Fallout 76 multiplayer game will launch first on the Xbox One when it releases its beta version later this year. Fans of the radroach-swatting RPG have waited years for an online version of Fallout, and 76 looks like it has been worth the wait.
Dubbed Break-it Early Test Application by Bethesda, Fallout 76’s beta is studio boss Todd Howard’s way of ironing out the kinks in the game. Considering Fallout has never been an MMO before, and the maps are promised to be four times bigger than Fallout 4, there’ss a lot that could go wrong in the early days of Fallout 76. While gamers still don’t know when the beta version is launching, Xbox One owners are set to get there first.
According to VGR, Fallout 76 is going B.E.T.A. on the Xbox One before its PC and PlayStation 4 counterparts. Fallout 76 doesn’t have any special deal with Microsoft, so the reason why Xbox One gets the title first is unclear. Getting something like Fallout 76 online is a mammoth task for Bethesda to undertake and developers will presumably have gone for the easiest option to start with. It could be that Microsoft’s servers are simply quicker than the competition.
Although the Fallout games do their best when it comes to problem-free gameplay, the series is known for the odd glitch or drop in frame rate. Although the difficulties of NPCs have been axed to make way for an almost totally PvP Experience, Fallout 76’s beta will undoubtedly highlight a host of new issues that developers probably haven’t thought of. Releasing on a single platform instead of across all three will allow Bethesda to hone in on any specific bugs in a more confined space. There is still no release date for Fallout 76’s Xbox beta, but it is safe to assume that it will run for a few weeks and allow a couple of month’s retooling time.
VGR can’t lock down a solid date, but the site guesses that fans could see Fallout 76’s beta in late July or early August. Players can access the beta only by pre-ordering the main game ahead of its November 14 release. Those who have signed up early will be given a code that allows them to enter the beta game and test the waters of the nuclear apocalypse. The PlayStation 4 is currently killing it with Sony’s exclusive titles, but the ability to head out into the wasteland with Fallout 76 before the rest of the video game industry is a big coup for Xbox.
More: Fallout 76 - Everything You Need to Know
Source: VGR
