Bethesda use the Public Test Server to beta test new content for Fallout 76 before a full release. The Fallout 76 PTS was first made available for the Wastelanders update, and more recently for the Worlds update. If you want to get your hands on the latest content before it becomes widely available, then you may be wondering how you can access the Public Test Server.
That's the question we'll be looking to answer today. Whether you are Using Steam, Xbox or PS4, we'll tell you what you need to know, to take part in the PTS for playing new Fallout content.
How to join Fallout 76 PTS on Steam, Xbox and PS4
We'll get this out of the way early. At the time of writing the PTS is only available to players via the Bethesda Launcher on PC. Users on PC can access the PTS through the launcher, but not via Steam, or on console. Once you've launched the game, you will see the PTS listed as a separate 'game' which you can then start playing.
If you are on Xbox, PS4 or using Steam, this may be disappointing. You can console yourself in the news that it is a testing ground for new content, so it will be potentially full of glitches and bugs. Which hopefully, by the time you get access, will have been resolved.
One of the reasons, presumably, that the PTS is not available across all platforms, is because of the added complexity and cost involved. Bethesda would potentially need to maintain multiple builds of the game for each console. So keeping it on one platform will keep costs down, and hopefully make it faster to identify and resolve any bugs that they identify. These fixes can then be applied to the console versions before release.
What does the latest PTS update have to offer?
If you are on PC, you might be wondering what is currently available on PTS. Most recently, Bethesda announced Fallout Worlds, an update which will Gove users the chance to create their own version of the game. There will be Public and Custom worlds.
The Public Worlds will offer pre-selected worlds, with settings to fit a specific theme. All players will be able to join a Public world, and it will feel very different to Adventure Mode. One Public World will be made available at a time, and will be rotated weekly on the PTS. They will be rotated monthly when the game is made live. Themes will include relaxed building restrictions, or infinite ammo, or massively increased damage received.
Customer Worlds on the other hand, will be available to players with an active Fallout 1st membership. Players with access to Customer Worlds can, as the name suggests, adjust settings to create a version of Appalachia that suits their preferences. You can create a world, then invite friends to join you in that space. You will be able to adjust settings such as disabling the need for electricity, adjusted enemy difficulty, or changing weather effects, among others.
The PTS is a testing site, so don't expect everything to work perfectly. But if you want to experience new game modes as soon as possible, it's the only way to do so.
Read More: Is Fallout 76 cross-platform in 2021?