Fallout 3 on WinXP on Parallels 3?

E

EricS

Junior Member
Has anyone played Fallout 3 on Windows XP through Parallels Desktop 3.0? If so, please share your experiences. I was thinking about buying the PS3 version, but I've read online that the graphics are superior on the PC version. If the game will work under Parallels, I'd even save $10! :)

Thanks,
Eric
 
Last edited:
I've got Parallels and just got F3. It won't run under XP or Vista. It installs correctly, and on first run gives a video error. A reboot fixes that. Unfortunatly once past the video error, it simply crashes for no specific reason. I'm tinkering now, but for the time being, if you want to roam the wasts (and SOOO want to roam the wasts) your best bet is a console.
 
Fallout 3 on Parallels 4?

Fallout 3 is not on the compatibility list for Parallels 4. This is a hugely popular game. Can something be done to get it to work for us? I'd have to say being able to play this game was probably the sole reason my son purchased Parallels 3.
 
Technically, supporting a specific game is not how development works, games and 3d apps have requirements that involve versions of OpenGL, DirectX, Pixel Shaders and Vertex Shaders, development works to support specific versions of these 'standards' to meet the games and apps requirements. PDM 4 supports higher versions of these than PDM 3.

The game page only refers the requirement of DirectX 9.0c.

The PDM 4 features page says:
Expanded DirectX 9, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0.

So, I believe it doesn't work because PDM 4 doesn't fully support DX9c (yet).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm in agreement here. It doesn't have to run the game well, but if Parallels is completely unable to play new games, I'm willing to buy VMWare (well, I work for Apple, so we've got copies, but I'm happy to install whatever I need to... yeah) to get things running. One of the big reasons we advise people at our shop to buy parallels (Apple repair @ UW) is because students are concerned with at least basic gaming. No one expects Alien Ware (now dell [shudder]) performance here, but the ability to at least run the games in a graphically scaled down mode is required.

I'm going to keep dinking away at it, but my patience is running out. P4 has been fairly buggy for me, and my boss who just upgraded to the final release had the HDD updater fail on him twice, and corrupt 1 virtual drive. Luckily we have a pretty comprehensive backup plan.

I need a Windows environment to handle the IT ticket application the rest of our IT dept uses (even though we only service Macs) otherwise, the only reason I have a VPC on my system at all is to play a few games here and there. STEAM runs well enough, and so do a few other games, but Fallout 3 is a pretty major title, and if P4 isn't up to the task, I'll break out the old gaming rig and call the problem solved that way. Let's get a hack put together here people, I've already had enough pissed off mac-owning students bitching at me, I want a solution for them, and for myself.
 
You're both right and wrong, Specimen.
We offer a list of compatible games, and those are which ones we've tested in-house using our product. If a game isn't on our list, you're taking your chances.

A game can pass technical compatibility tests and still not work. The reason for this isn't always due to DirectX support, but the video drivers themselves.
You get the same thing with video card manufacturers as well; a shiny new video card comes out with new drivers, you go buy a shiny new game to play on it... and sometimes it just doesn't work. It's not because the $200 video card you bought doesn't have DX9.0 support, it's because drivers are very touchy in general. The first thing a company will tell you to do is download the latest drivers off their web site and try again.

That was a slight tangent, but what I'm saying is that while Fallout 3 isn't supported right now, we're working on it and it's definitely a goal of ours to keep up with the latest and greatest applications. Keep checking our games compatibility list for updates.
 
Thanks for the promp reply. Sorry for the tone.
In the time it took for this reply, I've just had another student in the office talking about lack of support for testing software for the Law Dept. here, as well as games. The compatibility list is helpful, but this is a problem to be addressed in a hurried fassion.

Thanks for all the hard work you've already put in.
 
What is the name of this testing software?

By the way, I forgot to link the compatibility page; it's HERE. Under the "What Works" tab.
 
flynntargart mentioned buying VMWare to play new games. I just want to say that Fallout 3 does NOT work in VMWare. I run it in Boot Camp.
 
Fallout 3

I had a choice of getting a really good PC or the best iMac. I looked and found Parallels and that pushed me into getting a iMac, when I saw your list of stuff that works and that items are being added all the time but I'm still waiting for Fallout 3 to be added... please don't forget about us and yes i do know you guys are busy.
 
Fallout3 woes

atomex said:
flynntargart mentioned buying VMWare to play new games. I just want to say that Fallout 3 does NOT work in VMWare. I run it in Boot Camp.
Click to expand...

I've been trying to get Fallout3 working for weeks now. I've played the PS3 version, but want to delve into the Expansion Packs now.

I have tried P3 and upgraded to P4 to give that I try. No love. I've also tried via BootCamp with both XP SP3 and now Vista -- to include going so far as to use SwiftShader and/or 3DAnalyze. Still no love.

If anyway has gotten FO3 to work, please post a solution. I'd love for P4 to work, but I'll settle for a BC solution too.
 
I've run FO 3 with minimal problems (e.g. just the occasional crash you'd expect with any new game in Windows) under Bootcamp and Vista.

With all due deference to Parallels, whose product I like very much (in fact much, much more than VMware which is what I'm given at work), I wouldn't try running FO 3 in emulation. It's a game that requires a lot of horsepower to run well and even my 2.8GHz Macbook Pro chokes sometimes when running it in bootcamp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top