Mastering the Mojave Wasteland on PC often comes down to knowing how to bend the rules. Whether you're trying to bypass a frustrating glitch, test out powerful gear, or experiment with sandbox mechanics, the developer console is your primary tool. Accessing it requires nothing more than the tilde key on your keyboard, opening up a direct line to modify game parameters, spawn items, and manipulate non-player characters.
To open the console while playing on PC, press the tilde key (~), typically located just below the escape key and to the left of the number one. This pauses the game and brings up a transparent command line at the bottom of your screen. Typing your commands here and pressing Enter executes them instantly. Keep in mind that using console commands on PC will permanently disable achievements for that specific play session, so you'll want to restart your game normally if you're chasing milestone unlocks.
Essential Survival and God Mode Commands
When the wasteland gets overwhelming or you just want to explore without interruptions, a few foundational toggle commands keep you alive. These toggle states on and off by entering the command again.
tgm: Activates God Mode, granting infinite health, infinite ammunition, and zero weight encumbrance.tdm: Enables Demigod Mode, making you invincible while still requiring you to manage your ammunition supply.tcl: Activates No-Clipping (Noclip) mode, allowing you to walk through walls, fly across the map, and escape terrain traps.tmm 1: Unlocks every map marker instantly, enabling fast travel to locations you haven't visited yet. Usetmm 0to hide them again.tfc: Turns on the free-moving camera for cinematic screenshots. Adding a1after it (tfc 1) freezes the entire game world.
Spawning Items and Modifying Inventory
Finding unique weapons or stockpiling bottle caps normally takes hours of scavenging. The player prefix allows you to inject items directly into your inventory using specific hexadecimal base IDs. Additional information regarding the matter are detailed by Associated Press.
The syntax for adding items follows a strict pattern: player.additem [ItemID] [Quantity]. For example, adding 1,000 bottle caps requires typing player.additem 000000F 1000.
- Caps:
000000F - Stimpaks:
00015164 - Anti-Materiel Rifle:
0008f21c - Fat Man Mini-Nuke Launcher:
0000432c - Lucky 8-ball:
000333d4
Always omit the brackets when typing out commands. If an item code doesn't spawn the object correctly, make sure you've included the leading zeros from the base ID.
Character Stats and Progression Commands
If you want to skip the early-game grind or respec your courier on the fly, you can adjust your attributes, level, and perks using targeted actor value adjustments.
player.setlevel [X]: Instantly sets your character's level to the specified number.player.rewardxp [X]: Grants a specific amount of experience points.player.modav carryweight [X]: Permanently increases your maximum inventory carry weight by the chosen value.player.addperk [PerkID]: Grants your character a specific perk without waiting for a level-up.showracemenu: Opens the character creation screen to change your facial features, hair, or race.
Manipulating NPCs and the Game World
Sometimes quest logic breaks, or an NPC turns hostile due to an accidental stray bullet. You can target specific characters by opening the console, clicking on the NPC with your mouse cursor so their reference ID appears on screen, and then entering your command.
resurrect: Brings a dead NPC back to life with their inventory intact. Essential if a merchant or quest giver dies unexpectedly.unlock: Instantly opens any targeted locked door, safe, or terminal without requiring lockpick skill checks or keys.tai: Toggles artificial intelligence off for the selected target, freezing them in place.setessential [0 or 1]: Makes a targeted NPC immortal (1) so they cannot be killed by enemies or crossfire.kill: Instantly kills the currently selected NPC or enemy.
For more deep dives into roleplaying mechanics and game history, check out the official Bethesda Game Studios portal or browse community archives on the Fallout Wiki.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using console commands incorrectly can corrupt save files or break quest progression. Keep these tips in mind before experimenting:
- Forgetting to target objects: Commands like
unlockorsetownershiprequire you to click on the specific physical object or door while the console is open so that the item's reference ID displays at the top center of the screen. - Over-relying on quest completion commands: Using
caqs(Complete All Quest Stages) often breaks script triggers, crashing the game or locking you out of slide-show endings. Stick tosetstagefor fixing specific bugged objectives. - Saving while in God Mode: Saving your game while
tgmis active can occasionally bake permanent invulnerability or script flags into your save state. Make a clean backup save before running intensive commands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do console commands work on Xbox or PlayStation versions of New Vegas?
No. Developer console commands are exclusive to the PC version of the game. Console players on Xbox 360, Xbox One, or PlayStation systems must rely on in-game mechanics and glitches rather than text codes.
Why won't my item codes work when I type them in?
Make sure you include the item quantity at the end of the command string (for example, player.additem 000000F 500). Omitting the quantity or typing incorrect leading zeros for base IDs will cause the command to fail.
Can I use console commands to fix broken quests?
Yes. The setstage [QuestID] [StageNumber] command allows you to manually advance a quest past a bugged trigger point. You can find specific quest IDs and stage numbers on community tracking wikis.
Do cheats disable Steam achievements?
Yes. Executing any console command during a gameplay session disables achievement tracking for that session. Restarting the game completely without opening the console restores standard achievement functionality.
