So you binged the Amazon show, saw a cute nose-less ghoul singing “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire,” and thought,
“Yeah, I wanna roam a nuked-out America in a blue jumpsuit.”
Welcome, fresh meat! Now comes the eternal question—one that spawns Reddit threads faster than Deathclaws spawn nightmares:

Which Fallout do I actually boot up first?

Relax, smooth-skin. Below is a radiation-free roadmap that gets you into the action without turning your backlog into a mini-nuke crater.

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1. The Cold, Hard Console Truth

Let’s talk hardware for five seconds.

• PS5
• Switch (or both)

That instantly locks you out of the OG isometric titles (Fallout 1 & 2) unless you’re willing to dig up a crusty laptop or stream from the cloud. So the practical shortlist is:

Platform	Game	Note
PS5 (native)	Fallout 4	silky smooth, 60 fps patch
PS5 (stream)	Fallout 3 / New Vegas	via PS+ Premium
PS5 (native)	Fallout 76	online-only
Switch	Fallout Shelter	free-to-play vault sim

Switch-only? Sorry, Vault Dweller—grab a cheap laptop or borrow your roommate’s Xbox/PS.

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2. Three Flavors of Apocalypse

Game	Tagline	Good If You…	Watch Out For
Fallout 4	“I Just Want Big Guns & Settlements”	love crafting, FPS feel, self-contained story	spoils you with sprinting & smooth gunplay
Fallout: New Vegas	“Story > Everything”	want branching quests, factions that remember your face	2010 graphics, occasional streaming lag
Fallout 3	“History Lesson”	want to see Bethesda’s first 3D stab, classic Capital Wasteland vibe	no iron sights, no sprint, lots of green tint

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3. But Wait, What About 76?

Fallout 76 is basically Rust wearing a Fallout Halloween costume. Since the Wastelanders update it does have NPCs and a story, but:

• always online
• microtransactions everywhere
• a guy named xXx_NoobSlayer_xXx will nuke your C.A.M.P.

Try it after you’ve played at least one single-player entry and crave more irradiated real estate.

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4. The “Loremaster” Route (Hardcore Only)

If you genuinely enjoy isometric RPGs:

• Fallout 1 & 2 on GOG/Steam
• dirt cheap, run on a potato
• lay the lore groundwork like concrete

Just know the learning curve is steeper than a super-mutant on psycho.

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5. TL;DR Cheat Sheet

Situation	Recommended Order
PS5 + want modern polish	Fallout 4 → New Vegas (stream) → Fallout 3 (stream) → 76 (optional)
PC + want best story	New Vegas → 3 → 4 → 1 & 2 → 76
Switch-only	download Fallout Shelter, cry, then grab a cheap laptop

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Final Pro Tip

Whichever game you pick, crank the radio station:

• Galaxy News Radio (Fallout 3)
• Radio New Vegas (New Vegas)
• Diamond City Radio (Fallout 4)

Nothing screams post-apocalyptic road trip like crooning 1950s tunes while a Super Mutant hurls a mini-nuke at your face.

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Now quit reading and go make the Wasteland just a little more radioactive.
Remember: War never changes… but your save file might.