Toggling the developer console in Fallout: New Vegas gives you complete control over the Mojave Wasteland. Whether you want to fix a broken quest, bypass a frustrating lock, or turn your Courier into an immortal wasteland god, the in-game terminal handles it instantly.
To open the console on a standard US keyboard, press the tilde ($\sim$) key located directly beneath the Esc key. If your keyboard layout doesn't respond to the tilde key, you'll need to locate your configuration files. Navigate to your Documents\My Games\FalloutNV folder, open Fallout.ini using Notepad, locate bAllowConsole=0, and change that value to bAllowConsole=1. Save the file, launch your game, and you're ready to start entering commands.
Essential Gameplay and Debug Commands
When things go wrong in the wasteland—like getting permanently stuck between two rocks or facing a corrupted script—these core utility commands act as your safety net.
tgm: Toggles God Mode. Your health, ammo, and equipment condition stay maxed out, and you cannot die.tcl: Toggles collision. This lets you float through walls and escape geometry traps.tfc: Opens the free camera mode, leaving your character behind so you can capture screenshots or scout ahead.tm: Turns off all on-screen menus and the user interface, which helps when setting up cinematic shots.tmm 1: Instantly reveals every map marker on your Pip-Boy, saving hours of initial exploration.
Type these commands directly into the prompt and press Enter. Most toggle commands accept a 0 to turn them off or a 1 to turn them on.
Spawning Items and Currency
Adding items directly to your inventory saves time, but you need the correct base ID for the item. The syntax follows the format player.additem [ItemID] [count].
- Bottle Caps:
player.additem 0000000f 1000gives you 1,000 caps. - Stimpaks:
player.additem 00015169 50adds 50 medical injectors. - Anti-Materiel Rifle:
player.additem 0008f21c 1places the heavy rifle into your inventory.
When hunting for weapon, armor, or aid items from add-on packs like Honest Hearts or Lonesome Road, remember that the first two digits of the item ID correspond to your active load order index. For assistance finding specific item codes while playing, use the help [item name] 4 command to filter the game database.
Manipulating Characters and NPCs
The engine treats actors in the game world through specific reference identifiers. To target an NPC, open the console and click directly on them with your mouse cursor. A reference ID string will appear at the top center of the console screen.
kill: Instantly kills the selected target. Use caution around quest-critical characters, as premature deaths break storyline progression.resurrect: Revives a dead NPC and resets their inventory.unlock: Unlocks any targeted door, terminal, or container instantly without requiring lockpicks or hacking minigames.moveto player: Teleports the selected NPC directly to your current spatial coordinates.
Fixing Bugged Quests and Progression
Bugs occasionally halt progress during long campaign runs. Instead of reloading an hours-old save, you can advance quest states manually.
Find the alphanumeric quest ID on the Official Vault Wiki and use the setstage [QuestID] [StageNumber] command to push past a broken trigger. If a quest refuses to initialize correctly, typing resetquest [QuestID] clears its log history entirely so you can restart the sequence fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do console commands disable Steam achievements?
No. Unlike many modern titles, Fallout: New Vegas does not disable achievements during a play session simply because the developer console was opened or used.
Why is my tilde key not opening the console?
International keyboards often map the console key elsewhere. If the tilde key fails, try pressing the key directly below Esc on localized layouts, such as the \, ^, or § keys. Checking your .ini file settings remains the most reliable fix.
Can I use console commands on Xbox or PlayStation versions?
No. The developer console exists exclusively on the PC version of the game. Console ports on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, or PlayStation 4 lack a command line interface.
What happens if I use player.setlevel incorrectly?
Typing player.setlevel [number] adjusts your character tier instantly, but setting it too high without adjusting experience requirements can cause skill point allocation bugs during future level-ups.
