It’s not exactly unusual for works of science fiction to predict future technologies, whether it’s Ray Bradbury imagining Airpods in Fahrenheit 451 or the ’60s cartoon The Jetsons envisioning video calls. But when the Fallout video game landed in 1997, the creators probably didn’t expect how quickly we’d develop a modern version of their rugged proto-smartwatch, the Pip-Boy.
The foresight of Fallout’s Pip-Boy
For those who aren’t Fallout fans, a quick rewind. The Pip-Boy is a laptop, that watches the map, health tracker, and Geiger counter. In the game’s post-nuclear disaster world, they are given to the vault dwellers to help them stay safe and healthy and became arguably the most iconic element of one of the most lauded video game franchises of all time.
They also feature prominently in Amazon Prime TV’s new Fallout adaptation, in which Ella Purnell’s Lucy is paired with Walton Goggins’ Ghoul in a world that has pushed humanity to the brink. And spoiler alert: her Pip-Boy saves his life on more than one occasion.
The show has created a new frenzy among gaming fans while welcoming new ones to its wild world of eccentric characters. Players have been relatively starved for Fallout content, given that the last game, Fallout 76, came out in 2018. A lot has changed in that time, and in our post-pandemic world, the story of Fallout takes on new meaning. “I think post-apocalyptic life is something that a lot of people are interested in,” says Nicole DiSanto, also known as Mrs Fallout. “The retro-futurism style of the Fallout games has a unique nostalgia. The music, story, tone, environments, and gameplay make for a very immersive experience.”
But what about those Pip-Boys? In games, you access everything through them. They act as a menu, showing objectives, maps, and everything the player needs to progress. “A Pip-Boy is a personal information processor (PIP) that is worn on the wrist,” explains DiSanto.
“It is vital for Fallout because it shows and tracks your physical health statistics, inventory, quests, and maps. It features a Geiger counter to detect radiation and a Holotape reader that can load external media, such as text, audio, or games.
“It also functions as a compass, and a radio, and can generate light from its flashlight-like display. Additionally, Pip-Boys features a Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS) that helps the user aim and deliver blows. critical during combat.”
So, they do a little more than the latest Apple Watch. They are also much larger.
The Pip-Boy’s clunky appearance is the perfect encapsulation of Fallout’s comical strain of retrofuturism: incredibly high-tech and old-fashioned looking. But in the TV show, its use (at least so far) is more aligned with how we use our smartwatches today.
For Lucy, he’s a wasteland-ready Swiss Army knife whose built-in GPS allows him to track Moldaver, the mugger who kidnaps poor dad Hank in the opening episode. Her brother Norm uses his to kill time playing a computer game. Neither seems to have used them yet to track her 10,000 steps, but maybe that’s planned for Season 2.
Unsurprisingly, there are several companies producing replicas for devoted fans. “The Wand Company has made the best Pip-Boys replica, hands down,” says DiSanto.
“They made the Pip-Boy model 2000 Mk VI as seen in Fallout 76, the most recent of the Fallout games. Their attention to detail and craftsmanship is second to none.
They also make the new Pip-Boy replica model as seen in the Fallout TV series, a die-cast replica of the Pip-Boy 3000 Mk V. This Pip-Boy has a functional TFT LCD screen that has animations and also works. alarm clock.”
It’s not hard to imagine how a real Pip-Boy would benefit us today, even without a nuclear disaster. What would be the most useful attribute of him?
“The health monitoring features of the Pip-Boy would probably be the most beneficial in today’s world,” says DiSanto. “Pip-Boys monitor details of your health status and can identify illnesses and injuries. When requested, it administers all necessary medications into your system.” Your move, Apple.
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