How to turn the Flashlight off in Fallout 4

A hint of light in the darkness of the Wasteland

Fallout 4 character is looking at Dogmeat
Image via Bethesda

Sometimes, it’s the simplest mechanics in video games that can be the most annoying, as they aren’t always immediately explained. The flashlight in Fallout 4 is the perfect example of this, as it isn’t exactly clear how to trigger it.

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We’re going to be looking at how to turn the flashlight on and off in Fallout 4 to make it easier to navigate around the darker areas of the Wasteland. 

How to turn the Pip-Boy flashlight on and off in Fallout 4

An in game screenshot of Desdemona from Fallout 4.
When you see that eerie green glow, you’ll know your Pip-Boy flashlight is switched on. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The flashlight in Fallout 4 is embedded into your Pip-Boy, and it can be turned on and off by holding down a certain button. On the Xbox, this is the B button. On PlayStation, it’s the Circle button, and on the PC, it’s the Tab key. Hold down the button for a second and the flashlight should turn on. Hold it down again, and the flashlight will turn off. 

Does the Fallout 4 flashlight run out of battery?

The flashlight in Fallout 4 does not run out of battery. You can turn it on and off as much as you want without having to worry about it becoming unusable or having to collect resources to recharge it—unlike the extremely valuable Fusion Cores used to make your Power Armor run.

That’s all you need to know about turning the flashlight on and off in Fallout 4. Various areas in the game are particularly dark, so you’ll need to use it pretty frequently, especially if you enjoy roaming the Wasteland at nighttime.  

That being said, the brightness of the flashlight can attract attention, so be smart when you use it. Remember to keep the correct button pressed down for a moment to trigger the light too. Don’t tap it, or the light will not activate. 

Author
Image of Antonia Haynes
Antonia Haynes
Antonia Haynes is a freelance general gaming writer for Dot Esports who resides in a small seaside town in England where she has lived her whole life. Beginning her video game writing career back in 2014, and having an avid love of gaming since childhood, she became a staff writer in 2018 before becoming freelance in 2023 with her role at Dot Esports. Her ideal day would consist of junk food, fluffy pyjamas and video games because quite frankly going outside is overrated.