The latest game in the Fallout series comes with a revolutionary piece of optional hardware. But is it practical, or just for show?
The Pip-Boy (Personal Information Processor) has been a central part of the post-apocalyptic RPG series since the first instalment in 1997. It's how the player accesses his inventory, manages perks and abilities and reads up on quests, notes and other titbits found across the wasteland.
When news came out that Bethesda was releasing a wearable Pip-Boy to coincide with Fallout 4, I was incredibly excited. The special edition was available only through EB Games, and they sold out in minutes – I was lucky enough to get one and unfortunately, since then, a slew of these have ended up on eBay at inflated prices.
The special edition comes in a very polished capsule case, along with the game itself in a special edition metal case, a CD soundtrack and an instruction manual for the Pip-Boy that seems far bigger than it needs to be.
The Pip-Boy itself looks great – both the case and item itself are styled with all the charm that we've become accustomed to across the five games. All the buttons and knobs are just for show, but that's to be expected. The phone app which you have to download through either the Google Play or Apple store will do all the work.
After navigating with the latch for a few seconds, I pop open the screen and slide my phone into the groove provided. My S6 Edge fits perfectly into the mould, but foam backs and rings are provided for most phone models, should they not fit without a little assistance.
The biggest question surrounding the Pip-Boy was always going to be practicality. Unfortunately, it doesn't get a pass from me in that department. It's heavy and barely fits around my forearm, leaving it slipping awkwardly around my wrist.
Did I mention it's heavy? I play for about half an hour with the Pip-Boy on my arm, but after a couple of minutes I have it resting on my lap rather than out in front of me. Aside from that, it's nice to be able to cycle through your inventory, quests and travel to other destinations on the map as easily as someone would check the time on their wristwatch.
Truthfully, using the app on your phone outside the plastic bracelet is far less cumbersome. Apart from in combat situations, because the game doesn't pause automatically when using the Pip-Boy, the app is actually preferable to pressing a button and having your entire screen engulfed with the interface. It's especially useful for using Stimpaks to replenish health or RadAway to lower your radiation levels in one tap on your wrist.
A large part of the appeal is feeling like you're a part of the Fallout world (although that would be horrifying) and that the character on screen is an extension of yourself. I didn't have high hopes for this wearable from a practical standpoint, but it will certainly pave the way for other innovative game tie-ins in the future.
There's no question the Pip-Boy edition is a little bit clunky and impractical, but the display stand that it comes with makes it a great display piece for any pop culture aficionado.
