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Yes on PC, with compatibility caveats; on consoles, use Quake’s official in-game Add-Ons and publisher updates. PC players can sideload some original-compatible mods into the enhanced edition or use a community source port required by a particular map. Bethesda’s official materials do not document installing arbitrary downloaded fan files on modern consoles.
How PC and console access differs
| Route | What you can play | Installation and compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| PC enhanced edition | Official Add-Ons and some user-installed mods that work with original Quake. | Bethesda says other mods can be sideloaded like in the original game, by placing files in the game’s installation directory. A mod that needs a different source port may not work. |
| PC community source port | Fan maps and packs made for that port. | Check the map’s stated engine requirements and installation instructions. Ports have different feature sets, so compatibility is not universal. |
| Modern console | Official in-game Add-Ons and publisher-provided updates. | The official sources describe curated content and updates, not open installation of arbitrary downloaded map files. |
Bethesda Support says: “The PC version of Quake supports both official Add-Ons, and others can be sideloaded similar to the original game.” It also warns that “the breadth of community source ports with different feature sets means compatibility will not be perfect.” Bethesda Support’s PC mod compatibility guidance explains the limits.
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Playing fan levels on PC
Check which Quake engine or port the level requires
- Identify whether you are launching Bethesda’s enhanced PC edition or a community source port.
- Read the map or mod release’s requirements. A pack may target a specific port rather than the enhanced edition.
- Follow that release’s installation instructions. For the enhanced edition, Bethesda’s documented method is to place compatible files in the game installation directory.
- Launch the required game or port and load the level as its author directs. If it fails, verify the required port and file placement before assuming the map is broken.
Bethesda says it raised engine limits and added features to run many modern mods, but does not confirm compatibility with every modern Quake mod. Its PC compatibility guidance also notes the varying feature sets of community source ports.
A current example: Q30 Deathmatch Jam
PC Gamer reported in 2026 that the community-made Q30 Deathmatch Jam contains 22 arenas and is designed for Ironwail, Netquake, or Nightdive’s Kex port as used by the Quake remaster. Its report describes loading the pack as a standalone mod into a Quake directory and calling it up in the game console. Treat that as guidance for this particular pack, not a universal installation recipe for every fan map. PC Gamer’s Q30 Deathmatch Jam report gives the example and its named ports.
#1 Best Overall
- Experience the Military Sci-fi FPS, Enhanced
- Get the Original Mission Packs: The Reckoning and Ground Zero
- Play the All-New Expansion “Call of the Machine”
- Get Quake II 64 for Free
- Enjoy Online & Local Multiplayer/CO-OP
What you can play on consoles
On console, the documented route is the game’s official Add-Ons menu and content delivered by Bethesda, rather than copying PC mod files onto the system. Bethesda’s materials do not establish that PS5, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch players can install arbitrary fan downloads in the way PC players can. That is a distinction about supported access; it does not mean official content cannot include community-originated work.
Quake’s current official console update is Dawn of the Machine, a 19-map episode made by MachineGames and id Software and offered as a free update to Quake owners on supported platforms. It is official developer-created content, not a community fan-map pack. Bethesda and id Software’s 30th-anniversary update lists Dawn of the Machine and the platforms receiving it.
Rank #2
- Developed by the award-winning id Software, Quake is the ground-breaking, original dark fantasy first-person shooter that inspires today’s retro-style FPS games.
- Now, experience the authentic, updated and visually enhanced version of the original.
- Experience the original game, enhanced
- Original & new expansion packs
- Multiplayer and co-op with crossplay
Platforms listed for Dawn of the Machine
- Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
- Microsoft PC Store, Game Pass, and PC Game Pass
- Steam, Epic, and GOG
- Nintendo Switch 2 through backward compatibility, and Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
Availability is specific to this update and the listed platforms; check the listing for your edition and store before following purchase or installation steps.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Enjoy the original, authentic version of Quake, now with up to 1080p* and widescreen resolution support, enhanced models, dynamic and colored lighting, anti-aliasing, depth of field, the original, atmospheric soundtrack and theme song by Trent Reznor, and more. There’s never been a better time to play Quake.
- You are Ranger, a warrior armed with a powerful arsenal of weapons. Fight corrupted knights, deformed ogres and an army of twisted creatures across four dark dimensions of infested military bases, ancient medieval castles, lava-filled dungeons and gothic cathedrals in search of the four magic runes. Only after you have collected the runes will you hold the power to defeat the ancient evil that threatens all of humanity.
- Expand your experience with free, curated, fan-made and official mods and missions such as Quake 64, which is available to download and play now. More fan-made and official mods and missions coming soon.
- Play the campaign and all expansion packs cooperatively or go toe-to-toe in multiplayer matches with your friends regardless of platform! Crossplay is supported among PC (controller-enabled), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
- Improve your gunplay with an option that allows you to aim using gyro controls. The option can be used in conjunction with the control stick for the perfect blend of immersion and accuracy.
Rank #4
- Experience the Military Sci-fi FPS, Enhanced
- Get the Original Mission Packs: The Reckoning and Ground Zero
- Play the All-New Expansion “Call of the Machine”
- Get Quake II 64 for Free
- Enjoy Online & Local Multiplayer/CO-OP
Rank #3
- Experience the Military Sci-fi FPS, Enhanced
- Get the Original Mission Packs: The Reckoning and Ground Zero
- Play the All-New Expansion “Call of the Machine”
- Get Quake II 64 for Free
- Enjoy Online & Local Multiplayer/CO-OP
Which route should you choose?
- For a particular fan map: Use the engine or source port named by its creator. PC offers the broadest documented route for user-installed files, with more setup and compatibility troubleshooting.
- For straightforward console play: Browse the in-game Add-Ons and install official updates made available for your platform.
- If a mod fails on PC: Check whether it requires a port other than the enhanced edition, and follow its own documented setup rather than assuming all Quake mods are interchangeable.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
