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Quake 4

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Quake 4
Quake 4 cover
Developers
Raven Software
id Software
Publishers
Retail Activision
OS X Aspyr Media
Digital Bethesda Softworks
Engines
id Tech 4
Release dates
Windows October 18, 2005
Linux October 20, 2005
macOS (OS X) March 24, 2006
Reception
Metacritic 81
IGDB 75
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Subscription gaming service
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person
Controls Direct control
Genres FPS
Vehicles Robot
Themes Sci-fi
Series Quake
Quake 4 on HowLongToBeat
Quake 4 on IGDB
Quake 4 guide on StrategyWiki
Quake 4 on MobyGames
Quake 4 on Wikipedia
Quake
Quake 1996
Quake II 1997
Quake III Arena 1999
Quake 4 2005
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars 2007
Quake Live 2010
Quake II RTX 2019
Quake Enhanced 2021
Quake Champions 2022
Quake II Enhanced 2023

Warnings

The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.

Quake 4 is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person FPS game in the Quake series.

General information

Quake Wiki - A detailed wiki for every Quake game made.
Planet Quake
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
SafeDisc v4.60 DRM was removed in Patch 1.4.2.
4 CDs or 1 DVD.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Amazon.com
Requires online activation
macOS (OS X)
GamersGate (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
The only digital version that is available in Germany.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
CD key
Serial keys for multiplayer supplied as of May 9, 2023.[1]
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Microsoft Store
DRM-free after installation through Microsoft Store client (notes may include more details)
Xbox Game Pass for PC
Windows
Steam
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
CD key
Can be run without the Steam client.
Windows
Amazon.com (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Mac App Store (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
macOS (OS X)
A free client provided by id allows Quake 4 to be played natively on Linux machines. It requires either a full retail copy or the demo to use it. Details can be found on the GamingOnLinux article.
A faithful higher quality icon can be found from IconArchive.
Game is not available in Germany, except for Gamesplanet version.
The Special DVD Edition for Windows features Quake II and additional bonus content.

Demo

Demo is available here.

Monetization

Type Notes
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service Available via Xbox Game Pass for PC.

Source ports

Adapted from the released source code for the id Tech 4 based Doom 3

Name Description
Quake4Doom Playable with occasional issues
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
gbQuake4 Fork of Quake4Doom
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Not compatible with the retail version.

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.4.2 (2007) is the latest version. GOG.com and Steam versions are already patched.
Patch 1.3.0 (2006)
Patch 1.2.0 (2006)
Patch 1.1.0 (2006. Bugged widescreen feature. Add support for multi core CPUs)

Quake 4 Tweaker

Able to change the FPS limit to above 62, fix graphical issues on modern hardware, adjust the despawn time of corpses, change the FOV, skip intro videos and force custom display resolutions.
Only works on 64-bit computers.
Only 4:3, 16:9, and 16:10 resolutions are supported. Other resolutions will be stretched.

Skip intro videos

Use Quake 4 Tweaker[2]
Use the +disconnect command line argument[2]

Notes

For the GOG digital release, the command will not work when applied to the 'launcher' shortcut that GOG Galaxy creates. Create your own shortcut pointing directly to Quake4.exe, and apply the command to that.

Game data

In-game general settings.
In-game general settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\q4base\Quake4Config.cfg[Note 1]
Microsoft Store
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.quake4appstore/Data/Library/Application Support/Quake 4/q4base
Linux $HOME/.quake4/q4base
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2210/pfx/[Note 2]
This game does not follow the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\q4base\savegames\[Note 1]
Microsoft Store
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.quake4appstore/Data/Library/Application Support/Quake 4/q4base/savegames
Linux $HOME/.quake4/q4base/savegames
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2210/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

In-game general video/audio settings.
In-game general video/audio settings.
In-game advanced video settings.
In-game advanced video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
See Widescreen resolution for custom/unlisted resolutions. HUD is only 4:3 and will stretch to the proportion of resolution, unlike Xbox 360 version that have a proper Widescreen HUD.
Multi-monitor
See Widescreen resolution.
Ultra-widescreen
See Widescreen resolution.
4K Ultra HD
See Widescreen resolution.
Field of view (FOV)
Default is 90°. Use Quake 4 Tweaker.
Windowed
Can also be toggled with Alt+ Enter.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See Anisotropic filtering (AF).
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Up to 16x MSAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
Capped at 62 FPS. Use Quake 4 Tweaker.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
Sikkmod's HDR feature only adds HDR Rendering.

Widescreen resolution

Use Quake 4 Tweaker to force custom display resolutions[2]
Set custom resolution in configuration file[citation needed]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\q4base\Quake4Config.cfg.
  2. Search the line seta r_customHeight, replace with seta r_customHeight "768"
  3. Search the line seta r_customWidth, replace with seta r_customWidth "1366"
  4. Search the line seta r_mode, replace with seta r_mode "-1"
  5. Search the line seta r_aspectRatio, replace with seta r_aspectRatio "1".

Notes

Use seta r_aspectRatio "0" for 4:3, "1" for 16:9, and "2" for 16:10.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Set custom anisotropic filtering[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Create and open autoexec.cfg.
  3. Add seta image_anisotropy 8 for the highest quality.

Input

In-game key map settings.
In-game key map settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Disabled by default. Use m_accel 1 in the console to enable.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Controller types

Audio

In-game advanced audio settings.
In-game advanced audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Only a single volume slider.
Surround sound
First enable surround speakers setup in the Windows control panel.[3]
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support
EAX 4.0, EAX 5.0 (via OpenAL)[4]
Royalty free audio
Hidden EAX 4.0 mode is available by using Creative ALchemy and selecting Generic Hardware driver in sound options.[5] Currently broken in DSOAL v1.31a.

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Czech
Retail only. link #1
French
German
Retail only.
Hungarian
Fan translation, download.
Italian
Polish
Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Brazilian Portuguese
Fan translation, download.
Russian
Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Spanish
Retail and GOG.com only. Patch for digital release here.
Turkish
Fan translation, download.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
16 Versus
Online play
16 Versus

Connection types

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 27650
UDP 27650
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D, DirectVR
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.
Devices
3RD Space Gaming Vest
Official Game Mod (version 1.4.2) - Single Player & Multiplayer
Novint Falcon

Issues fixed

Poor image quality on modern systems

The game does not properly recognize the available VRAM on modern graphics cards, and as such forces the game to use lower image quality settings.
Use Quake 4 Tweaker[2]
Force high image quality[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Create and open autoexec.cfg.
  3. Add the following and save.
seta com_machineSpec "3"
seta com_videoRam "768"
seta r_shadows "1"
seta r_skipSky "0"
seta r_skipBump "0"
seta r_skipSpecular "0"
seta r_skipNewAmbient "0"
seta r_multiSamples "4"
seta image_ignoreHighQuality "0"
seta image_downSize "0"
seta image_downSizeBump "0"
seta image_downSizeSpecular "0"
seta image_useCache "0"
seta image_useCompression "0"
seta image_useNormalCompression "0"
seta image_usePrecompressedTextures "0"
seta image_lodbias "-1"
seta image_anisotropy "8"
seta image_filter "GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR"
seta g_brassTime "2"

Stretched UI on 16:9 widescreens

Install Quake 4 widescreen fix by Wizzard[6]
  1. Download widescreen fix
  2. Copy and paste the content into the installation folder.

Steam Overlay doesn't work

Run the Steam client as administrator[7]
Add registry key[8]
  1. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers.
  2. Right-click → New → String Value.
  3. Put the full path to Quake4.exe in the name.
  4. Open the newly created string and type in RUNASINVOKER and confirm it.

Notes

For the GOG version, the string value is already created. The only thing to do is right-click on Quake4.exe and modify the value data with the RUNASINVOKER to confirm it.

Sluggish mouse view

Use raw input[9]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\q4base\autoexec.cfg.
  2. Add the line in_mouse 2
  3. Save the changes.

ReShade overlay inaccessible to mouse

Bypass the game's mouse bind[10]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\q4base\Quake4Config.cfg.
  2. Search the line seta com_allowConsole and set the value to "1".
  3. Start the game.
  4. Press Alt+Tab to switch into windowed mode
  5. Press ~ to open the console
  6. Access the ReShade GUI

Microstutter

Instructions[11]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\q4base\autoexec.cfg.
  2. Add the following lines.
seta r_swapInterval "1"
seta com_fixedTic "1"

Notes

This solution may cause speech lipsync to go out of sync, but gameplay should be unaffected. r_swapinterval controls VSync.

Fix font scaling

Configuration Files[citation needed]
This may cause some menus to have their text cut off in multiplayer.
  1. Open <path-to-game>\q4base\Quake4Config.cfg or <path-to-game>\q4base\autoexec.cfg.
  2. Add the following lines.
seta gui_mediumFontLimit "0"
seta gui_smallFontLimit "0"

Issues unresolved

Poor performance/"slow-motion" effect on Nvidia cards

Quake 4 and other id Tech 4 games seem to suffer from some sort of driver-related issue on modern Nvidia GPU's that causes the game to go into what appears to be a "slow-motion" phrase during some intensive scenes, where the framerate technically remains the same but game logic is slowed down and negatively effects performance, and it persists even when using the microstutters fix and Quake 4 Tweaker. This issue's not known to affect all hardware configurations but a definitive fix is not currently available.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
OpenGL 2.0
ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
32-bit only.[12]
Linux

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio OpenAL
Anti-cheat PunkBuster

Modifications

Quake 4 4X AI Textures

Upscales the original texture's resolution 4x by using Topaz AI Gigapixel neural network.
Large download at over 6.5 GB, including patches. Around 27 GB once extracted.

Sikkmod

Sikkmod is a mod that was ported from Doom 3, which adds such effects as bloom, color grading, HDR and FXAA, and is easily configurable via the in-game menu.
The game's multi-core rendering may cause problems with this mod, disable that setting if there are graphical glitches.
Using the Retail version can case the game to crash.

False Dawn

False Dawn is a non-linear, multiple-goal mission with up-to-date graphics (powered by Sikkmod).

Next & Better Shaders

Next & Better Shaders is a more up-to-date collection of shaders for Quake 4, with some ported from Doom 3. They add effects like parallax textures, dynamic lighting, HDR, and more. The author has adjusted the shaders to keep Quake 4's original look and reduce the plastic effect.
Move the desired shader folder to the Quake 4 base install directory and select it from the in-game Mods list, or use the provided .bat file to launch the game.

Advanced tweaks

TweakGuides has created a comprehensive guide for tweaking the game.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 2000
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 3.2 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 9700
Nvidia GeForce3 Ti
64 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Windows 98 has been tested to work with Quake 4, but this is not officially supported.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10.3.9
Processor (CPU) 1.67 GHz
System memory (RAM) 512 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 3 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 9600
Nvidia GeForce 6600
64 MB of VRAM
Linux
Minimum
Operating system (OS) Kernel 2.4.x, Kernel 2.6.x
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
System memory (RAM) 512 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Supported ATI chipsets: Radeon 9700 series, Radeon 9800 series, Radeon X300 series, Radeon X550 series, Radeon X600 series, Radeon X700 series, Radeon X800 series, Radeon X850 series
Supported Nvidia chipsets: GeForce 3/Ti series, GeForce 4/Ti series, GeForce FX series, GeForce 6 series, GeForce 7 series


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
  2. 2.0 2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/2210/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (2210) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References