Fallout: New Vegas – Best Anti-Crash Mods

Fallout: New Vegas is one of the most highly regarded entries in the acclaimed series. In fact, it’s no stretch to assume that many fans consider it the best Fallout game of the bunch. Even after eleven years, its popularity has yet to waver.

However, like many expansive open-world RPGs of its kind, Fallout: New Vegas comes with its fair share of bugs. Arguably the most frustrating bug of all is crashing to the desktop. Luckily, New Vegas’smodding community is immense. Anti-crash and stability mods are perhaps the most useful add-ons one can find on Nexus. Before revisiting the Mojave Wasteland one more time, make sure to install these handy tools.

Updated on June 2, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: New Vegas is a game that many people consider to be the greatest Fallout game ever made, which is high praise indeed. Obsidian Entertainment knocked it out of the park with this title, but not all was sunshine and roses with this title’s release. Despite its amazing role-playing systems, the lack of stability and a bevy of glitches in the title posed several issues for this game at the time of launch, and most people would agree that playing this game without modern mods to mitigate the crashes and problems present in this title is downright necessary to enjoy the experience. Players who want to check out this title after the bombastic Fallout TV series ended its run will love the many mods they can use to make the game as stable as possible.

10 Ultimate Edition ESM Fixes

Downloads: 219,912

The Gamebyro engine may have birthed some great games, but no one can deny the fact that this engine isn’t particularly smooth, leading to a lot of titles on this engine being pretty unstable. New Vegas is no exception here, with the short development time leading to a wealth of bugs that wormed their way through into the final product.

Players using SSDs who want this game to load as quickly as possible without any issues will appreciate this mod that optimizes how the ESMs are structured. Not only does this ensure smooth performance, but it also reduces the chances of any crashes coming the player’s way.

9 FNV BSA Decompressor

Downloads: 361,538

New Vegas also loads a bunch of BSA files before the game launches, which is just how Bethesda games worked at the time. However, this process is far from optimal, with some issues cropping up here and there that can bog down a player’s experience while playing this game.

With this mod, various processes are optimized in this regard to make the process of loading New Vegas as smooth as possible. This allows for better performance across the board, which automatically translates to fewer crashes that can mess up the player’s experience with this title.

8 Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus

Downloads: 1,100,335

The Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus mod is the final collection of bug fixes a player needs. Best of all, it’s meant to be used in conjunction with YUP, JIP, and NVSE. It’s a mod that helps tie everything together and cover all possible bases.

As per the mod author’s instructions, Unofficial Patch NVSE Plus should be placed relatively high in the load order and after YUP. Once again, utilizing a mod manager along with LOOT almost guarantees a correct load order. Check out the mod’s Nexus page for a more in-depth look at what changes are implemented.

7 New Vegas Script Extender

Downloads: 1,668,964

Before diving into the anti-crash mods themselves, it’s important to highlight the essential nature of the New Vegas Script Extender.

In the most general terms, NVSE is the foundation upon which the vast majority of other mods will build. This includes the stability and bug-fixing mods. Thus, installing NVSE is a critical first step toward a smoother game.

6 New Vegas Tick Fix

Downloads: 2,273,342

Similar to NVAC, New Vegas Tick Fix is an absolute godsend. On a PC, Fallout: New Vegas has a tendency to be choppy in certain spots. This mod rids the player of that annoying problem and makes the game seem that much more seamless. It’s also important to note that, by extension, crashes become less of an issue as well.

New Vegas Tick Fix can be installed manually in the exact same manner as NVAC. However, it’s worth pointing out that the easiest way to install this mod is through the use of a mod manager. Just add New Vegas Tick Fix to one’s load order and activate it.

5 JohnnyGuitar NVSE

Downloads: 2,831,703

This hilariously titled NVSE plugin is one of the most popular modern New Vegas mods that players must download to make the process as painless as possible. It features a wealth of incremental fixes that pile up to make the game’s processes as smooth and error-free as possible.

This results in a smoother, more engaging experience as players engage with the brilliance of New Vegas without facing any crashes along the way. Given how unstable the game is, it’s easy to see why this mod is coveted among the masses for being so simple yet critical to enjoying this game.

4 Yukichigai Unofficial Patch

Downloads: 3,455,818

Yukichigai Unofficial Patch, or YUP for short, is a mod that’s jam-packed with bug fixes and performance improvements. When combined with the other mods on this list, the majority of New Vegas‘s most glaring problems will be rectified. Even common bugs that plague the game’s DLC are given attention.

There’s nothing too special here concerning YUP’s installation. A mod manager is highly recommended, especially when one considers that load orders need to be organized in the correct sequence. Consider using a tool such as LOOT to make sure all of one’s mods are in the right order.

3 4GB Patcher

Downloads: 4,779,689

The 4GB Patcher isn’t an anti-crash mod in the strict sense, but it does help with stability. Furthermore, certain mods that iron out the game’s bugs need the 4GB Patcher to operate correctly. It’s easily one of the most essential mods a player can download, so do it sooner rather than later.

Unlike other mods, the 4GB Patcher can’t be installed by way of a mod manager. It needs to be done manually. Simply download the mod, extract the file, and place it inside the Fallout: New Vegas root folder. After that, double-click on the file, and the 4GB Patcher will be installed.

2 JIP LN NVSE

Downloads: 5,907,480

JIP LN NVSE operates in much the same manner as New Vegas Script Extender. It adds over 900+ new functions/tweaks to the vanilla game. The massive list of this mod’s improvements can be seen on their Nexus page. Suffice it to say, JIP LN NVSE also fixes many of the problems that can lead to crashing.

Unsurprisingly, this mod requires the installation of New Vegas Script Extender to work properly. Once again, a mod manager is by far the easiest method. Nevertheless, manual installation of this mod requires unzipping the file and placing it inside the game’s Data folder.

1 New Vegas Anti-Crash

Downloads: 6,230,415

As the name suggests, this is certainly the most important mod to install to avoid unnecessary crashing. New Vegas Anti-Crash, or NVAC as it’s popularly known, is a highly recommended must-have tool even if the player has no intention of modding the game heavily.

There’s really nothing too complicated about this mod to understand. A player’s gameplay experience will run much smoother while avoiding the need to backtrack because of a crash. Just add the files to the Data/NVSE/Plugins folder. Alternatively, add NVAC to whichever mod manager you may be using and activate it.