Strap on the Fallout 4 companion app

Mimicking your in-game options menu and item manager, the Fallout Pip-Boy app lets you control the minutia of your Fallout 4 character from your phone, tablet, or – if you were lucky enough to get the Special Edition of the game – very own Pip-Boy.

Retro style

Anyone playing Fallout 4 will instantly recognize the iconic Pip-Boy interface – the mobile, wrist-mounted computer that is your gate way too all of your stats, perks, and equipment.

With a tap of the screen Bethesda’s Fallout Pip-Boy app syncs with your copy of Fallout 4 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One – at least once your character has a Pip-Boy. From there it offers remote access to all of the in-game functions, letting you manage your skills, stats, and equipment using a variety of taps and swipes through a perfect recreation of the interface.

For a little extra icing on the cake, the app also lets you play any of the retro-styled mini-games that you collect in Fallout 4. The app comes with Atomic Command – a Missile Command clone – ready to go, but it doesn’t take long to unlock additional titles like the Donkey Kong-esq Red Menace. These can be enjoyed on the go, and are a great diversion if you want to remain in the Fallout 4 fiction while traveling to work.

Less than efficient

Brilliant, in theory, but it is not as wonderful as you may hope. Even on larger devices you can’t be certain that you will make the right selection on the touchscreen interface, making using it in the heat of battle far from ideal.

This instantly robs it of the main benefit that I hoped it would bring to Fallout 4, a parallel functionality that would make the item and stat management not only more fun, but also more efficient.

That said, while it may not offer the best interface experience, I bet if you have the full special edition Pip-Boy frame – and it fits you – the limited efficiency of the app won’t stop you trying to use if for much of the game.

Stick with the basics

Pip-Boy is a novel tool for Fallout 4 that players will enjoy for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, its tiny size paired with the shear amount it’s expected to control make it inefficient. It is still fun when you have time, but it won’t replace the game’s menus for most people.

On the plus side, the retro arcade games you can collect in Fallout 4 and play through the app are a great bonus.