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Fallout 4 PC can't be installed from disc alone

If you buy Fallout 4 for PC on a disc, you'll need to download a whack of content from Steam.

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Fallout 4 won't ship entirely on-disc for PC; you'll need to activate the game on Steam to download the rest.

"You will still have to download from Steam. The disc doesn't contain the entire game," Bethesda boss Pete Hines said on Twitter.

Asked why the console version doesn't require an extra download, Hines said it's a combination of DRM and the limited storage space of DVDs.

"PC requires activation on Steam. Console does not. Console ship on Blu-rays, PC ships on DVDs," the executive said in a followup tweet.

In yet another tweet, Hines confirmed that "piracy" is the reason why PC games require Steam activation. He received an angry reply, and responded with class.

"Well we've been doing it this way more or less for 10+ years. Seems to be doing ok. Lots of people bought Skyrim, Wolfenstein, etc," Hines said.

Fallout 4 is coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One on November 10.

Thanks, MaximumPC.

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Brenna Hillier avatar
Brenna Hillier: Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.
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