Fallout: New Vegas bugs

NPC-specific bugs

 * For NPC-specific bugs, please see the respective NPC article page.
 * For bugs that apply to NPCs in general or to followers in general, please see the NPC bugs section below.

Quest-specific bugs
For quest-specific bugs, please see the respective quest article page.

Engine Bugs
Control and HUD loss on Reload from save- Known to happen on all three Gamebryo Engine Games


 * While using incendiary rounds in the Anti-Materiel Rifle if you target something in VATS it will start on fire, you can repeat this until you kill the target and it won't count as you killing it.(thus enabling you to kill any target you wish without consequence)

Location-specific bugs
For location-specific bugs, please see the respective location article page.

General advice and notes

 * Make sure your game is patched to the latest official patch. If your game is not up-to-date, do not report any bugs you may experience.
 * Save often and in different slots. Do not rely too much on autosave. A frequently overwritten autosave slot can become corrupted.
 * If you are playing on the PC, make sure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements. If any component of your computer falls below the minimum system requirements, do not report any bugs you may experience.

Mods

 * The Vault does not cover information concerning third-party mods for Fallout: New Vegas.
 * If you have any mods installed, do not report any bugs you may experience, even if it seems to you that your issue is not mod-related. Please visit the Bethesda mod forums for information.

Using the console
On the PC, many NPC, quest, and player-getting-stuck issues can be resolved through the use of console commands.

Crashing, freezing and other hardware- or software-related issues
Stuttering, crashing, freezing, and slow-down issues are often hardware- and/or software-related. Please visit the Bethesda Fallout: New Vegas hardware forums for information regarding these issues. In particular, read through the stickied threads at the top of the forum pages.

General solutions

 * Leave and re-enter the area.
 * Load a save from before the glitch occurred.
 * Exit the game, restart the game, and load a save from before the glitch occurred.
 * PC users may be able to fix some issues by using console commands.

Clipping

 * Clipping (items and actors getting stuck in the ground or in other items) is a common problem.

Crashing, freezing and slowdowns
Crashes and freezes may happen occasionally to anyone. Crashes and freezes are only notable when they are repeatable (e.g. they happen under the same set of circumstances often). If the crash only occurs on one particular save, then the save itself is most likely the source of the problem. Please verify that crashes and freezes are repeatable on more than one save game before reporting.
 * Severe slowdowns are occurring on all platforms. Restarting your system may help.

Exploits
Please see Fallout: New Vegas exploits.

Radio-related bugs

 * Subtle audio-normalization issues on the radio, making some songs noticeably quieter than the announcer (Mr. New Vegas).

Crashing and other hardware- or software-related issues
Stuttering, crashing, freezing, and slow-down issues are often hardware- and/or software-related. Please visit the Bethesda forums for information regarding these issues. In particular, read through the stickied threads at the top of the forum page.


 * Strange black and white boxes appearing at long view range with Nvida GTX 4xx cards (seen with a 480, 470, and 460 so far).


 * With trait selected with 20% slower firing speed gun at time "spasms" firing multiple times, possibly due to stacked fire commands.


 * Indoor HDR lighting will frequently flicker in areas close to light beams and other nondescript areas. This bug is intensified when the PipBoy light is on.


 * When putting away pistols (9mm and such) if your running the sprite will enter your characters back and stay there until you draw your weapon again, if you hold still while holstering your weapon it will go to your side as normal.