About
Fallout by Black Isle Studios / Interplay (1997) is the landmark isometric
post-apocalyptic RPG that defined the SPECIAL system and the tone of the entire series.
Set in a retro-futuristic California wasteland, it offers radical player agency with
multiple solutions to every quest, including talking your way through the entire game.
Available on Steam (appid 38400) and GOG; the core game runs well on Steam Deck under
Proton, and a community fix (Fallout Fixt or the High Resolution Patch) is recommended
to raise the resolution for the Deck's screen.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- FALLOUTW.EXE
- Options
- %command%
- Needs files
- none beyond the binary
Proton
- Version
- Proton 7.0-6
- Winetricks
- —
- ProtonDB
- ProtonDB Gold runs perfectly after tweaks
⚙ Setup notes
ProtonDB / Deck status (Steam appid 38400)
The 1997 original is rated highly on ProtonDB (Gold-class for most reporters) and the
core game runs out of the box under Proton on the Steam Deck. The few rough edges are
the fixed low resolution, an occasionally glitchy intro cinematic, and a mouse-cursor
visibility issue on some newer Proton builds. Treat this recipe as needs-test until a
contributor confirms on hardware.
Binary / launcher note
The actual game executable is FALLOUTW.EXE. The Steam build also ships a thin
FalloutLauncher.exe wrapper; pointing Proton straight at FALLOUTW.EXE (or letting the
high-res config write its own launcher) is the most reliable path. The GOG build runs
FALLOUTW.EXE directly.
Essential community patch (Fallout Fixt or the High Resolution Patch)
Vanilla runs at a fixed low resolution that looks tiny on the 1280x800 Deck panel, so a
community fix is strongly recommended:
- Fallout Fixt — a bug-fix + quality-of-life package that bundles the High Resolution
Patch and a resolution configurator. A common workflow is to keep only FALLOUTW.EXE,
MASTER.DAT and CRITTER.DAT, run the Fixt installer with protontricks against the
game's wineprefix, copy the resulting files back into the game folder, then use the
bundled high-res config tool to set DirectX 9, 32-bit colour and a Deck-friendly
resolution (1280x720 / 1280x800 work well). A ddraw library override (native,
builtin) via winecfg in the same prefix is often needed.
- The standalone Fallout 1 High Resolution Patch modifies FALLOUTW.EXE in memory to
raise the resolution and enable windowed mode if you only want the resolution fix.
Proton version / cursor bug
Some reporters hit an invisible / missing mouse cursor on newer Proton builds. If the
cursor disappears in menus or on the world map, pin an older Proton (Proton 7.0-6 is a
known-good fallback) in the game's Properties > Compatibility. Test the current default
Proton first; only downgrade if you actually see the cursor bug.
Controller / input (no native gamepad)
Fallout 1 is mouse-and-keyboard only with no native controller support. Use a Steam Input
mouse-style layout: right trackpad as the mouse, right trackpad click = left mouse button,
a button mapped to right-click for the context/skill menu, and the D-pad or left stick for
common keys (Esc, Tab/inventory, F6 quick-save). Community "Fallout" layouts in the Steam
Input picker cover this well.
Install method
Install the game normally on a desktop/Deck Steam install (or GOG) so the full data files
and FALLOUTW.EXE are present, then copy the installed game folder onto the Deck if you set
it up elsewhere. Apply the Fixt/high-res patch into that same folder before first launch.
Fallout Et Tu (optional alternative)
Et Tu replays Fallout 1's content inside the Fallout 2 engine, gaining F2's fixes, higher
resolutions and quality-of-life features. It requires a separate Fallout 2 install and a
different runtime (GE-Proton-class) and is a distinct setup from vanilla Fallout 1.
Project: https://github.com/rotators/Fo1in2
Save often
The original engine can be unstable on long sessions; quick-save (F6) frequently.
The one thing to know
- Game executable is FALLOUTW.EXE; the Steam build adds a thin FalloutLauncher.exe wrapper.
- Vanilla resolution is tiny on the Deck — apply Fallout Fixt or the High Resolution Patch.
- Some Proton builds cause a missing/invisible cursor; if so, pin an older Proton (7.0-6 known good).
- No native controller support; use a Steam Input mouse layout (trackpad as mouse).
- Et Tu is an optional alternative needing a separate Fallout 2 install and a GE-Proton runtime.
- Save frequently — the original engine can be unstable on long sessions.
Community guides
Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.
Get the artwork
deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick
the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the
game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the
Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.
Run it on your Deck
Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your
Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game
into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it
writes the recipe (binary, launch options, Proton version)
and registers the shortcut with artwork.