Technology Technology in the world of " Fallout " is different from ours . First , due to the Divergence , it has developed in a radically different direction . It ' s a world in which integrated circuits were developed very late and even then their popularity was limited , as people preferred the more resistant and reliable vacuum tubes . Second , the technology has progressed beyond our current level , as the development proceeded all the way until 2077 and even further in certain cases ( such as the Enclave ) . Much of the " Fallout " world and technology is inspired by 1950s pulp science fiction . The world is not our own , functioning due to a different set of rules . It is a world in which radiation can mutate people into ghouls and portable directed energy weapons are not only viable but also ( relatively ) widespread . This article aims to highlight the differences between the " Fallout " world ' s technology and our own . Energy . One of the key elements of the backstory are the Resource Wars , fought for the last remaining energy resources on Earth . In the wake of the crisis , as the economy ground to a halt , the United States sought alternatives to fossil fuel energy , arriving at two solutions - utilizing fission and fusion as the primary power sources . The first crude fusion cell was unveiled in 2066 , providing the United States with an edge and averting its imminent bankruptcy . By 2077 , microfusion cell s were commonplace , used widely as chargers for energy - consuming technology , ranging from laser rifle s to cars . However , perhaps the most representative element of the new energy source is the iconic T - 51b power armor , powered by a back - mounted TX - 23 Micro Fusion pack , with enough fuel capacity to allow operation for nearly a century . Fission power sources have found their use as well , as power sources for robots , which can utilize a nuclear power unit as its energy source or backup generators ( typically Wattz Electrobox units , like the one used in Broken Hills ) . Vehicles . In 2077 , due to the oil crisis , gasoline was no longer a viable car fuel , even more so with the excellent power the automobiles had . As such , many car companies have desperately pursued research into alternative power sources , with Chryslus Motors finally patenting the successor to gasoline : electric engines , powered by energy cells . Charged with fusion cells , a Chryslus Corvega or Highwayman featured 800 + horsepower and acceleration from 0 to 60 MPH in under a second , all done with a full analog system and no computers . However , not many of these cars were produced and those that were had a limited success due to their hefty price tag ( $ 199 , 999 . 99 for a Corvega ) . Steam - powered trucks were also being used by the time of the Great War , and unlike the bulky nuclear cars , were also very viable for transit in the post - Apocalypse . The Master and his Unity made significant use of the trucks in such dastardly deeds as attacking Necropolis or Vault 13 . Personal protection . One of the most noticeable technological leaps was made in the field of protecting people from harm ( as well as causing it , but more on that later ) . The United States was especially proficient at doing so , as its research into polymers paid off , resulting in suits of advanced combat armor being widely deployed across the country to police and military forces , sometimes even civilians with a special BADTFL permit . This armor protected the wearer considerably from conventional and explosive damage as well as laser and plasma , a trait quite useful on the modern battlefield . Another example of considerable advancement is the power armor , an armored suit with a hydraulic endoskeleton , powered by a fusion pack , designed to be a one - man tank replacing traditional , inefficient vehicles in their role . It is an exclusively America n technology , which is also the root of many other technologies , such as the aforementioned cold fusion . Even the Great War failed to stall research into the technology , as the Enclave continued to develop new suits to create an even more powerful suit than the pre - War cutting edge T - 51b power armor . An interesting example of research into personal protection exists , in the form of the Tesla armor , a suit based on Nikola Tesla ' s blueprints , in which Tesla Attraction Coils attract and disperse energy attacks , providing a surprisingly effective protective apparel and another example of how Fallout ' s physics are different than our own . Robotics . A fledgling field of science in our world has become a thriving industry of its own in the Fallout world . Robots are widely used and have reached a very high level of refinement and advancement . They can operate individually , can process visual and audio data in real time and make tactical decisions in the heat of the moment , operate human or inbuilt weapons with deadly accuracy and even host artificial intelligence s . An indication of just how advanced robotics were is the fact , that robots were commercially available to civilians and companies , apart from the military - Mister Handy and protectron robots being the best examples of just how widespread and popular they were . Weapons . Likely the single field in which the greatest advancements were made , weaponry of the Fallout world is varied and incredibly advanced in some regards . Apart from conventional weapons based on combustion of gunpowder , energy weapons development advanced at a rapid pace , allowing for the creation of mass produced laser , plasma and pulse rifles . While many conventional weapons echo those available in our world ( such as the AK - 112 Assault Rifle or Colt Rangemaster hunting rifle ) , advances in high - tech , light - weight polymer have also enabled man to carry huge weapons : man - portable miniguns . Developed not only by America , these massive rotary cannons are capable of delivering extreme firepower in a compact package . Yet they were still horribly bulky and inefficient when compared with energy weapons . These advanced armaments were developed to be powered with Microfusion cell s , although battery packs or cabled power systems could also be used as well . There are three distinct types of these weapons in the wastelands - laser based , which emit a several megawatt beam of coherent light , plasma based , relying on delivering damage via condensed plasma and pulse , in which the damage is done via a powerful electrical energy pulse . The United States Armed Forces were principally interested in the development of these weapons and employed them widely . The Enclave , successor to the US government , followed this trend . A curious offshot of research into ways to harm other humans was the Gauss coilgun technology . Originating in Germany , the weapons fired a small caliber metal slug ( 2mm energy cell ) down a barrel surrounded by magnets , propelling it to extreme speeds and guaranteeing massive damage upon impact . Biomedical technologies . Yet another startlingly advanced field in the Fallout world , biomedical science flourished in the retro - futuristic world . The most basic example , the stimpak is astounding by our standards - a self contained stimulation delivery package , sending the cells into a replication frenzy , swiftly healing minor wounds , doing in seconds what often takes days by regular means . What further deepens the gap between our technology and that of Fallout is the existence of superior versions , the super stimpak and ultra stimpak , which can heal even the worst of injuries at a minor cost of health damage from the frenzy of replication a few minutes later . Of course , developments also took place in fields other than healing , namely , pharmaceutical enhancement . In comparison , our drugs look like primitive hallucinogenics , as those in the Fallout world last longer and have much stronger effects . Buffout , synthetic steroids , amplifies Strength and Endurance greatly , Mentats increase Intelligence and Perception while psycho increases both resistance to pain and physical damage . Yet all of the above pales in comparison with truly revolutionary technologies . Beginning with the ability to easily clone replacement limbs and organs for humans , through surgeries permanently enhancing the human body all the way to viruses capable of rewriting human DNA and altering their physical appearance in real time . This last , most phenomenal achievement is called the FEV , Forced Evolutionary Virus . Computers . Compared to other fields , computers are strangely primitive - while portable units ( such as RobCo Pip - Boy s ) and robots exist , it seems that the actual processing power is quite low ( 64k of RAM in Enclave terminals ) , contrasting with other advanced technologies . Their frames are also typically large and cumbersome , compared to the small , sleek forms of today . Desktop personal computers are larger than a breadbox , while computers used in offices can consist of multiple vending - machine sized magnetic - tape servers , filling entire rooms . One of the main reasons for these bulky computers was that the computers in the Fallout universe make use of primarily bulky vacuum tubes , with only a small number of compact integrated circuit - boards . Computer monitors also relied on large , primitive Cathode ray tubes , which only allowed for monochrome picture . Because of this , Television in the Fallout world never moved past black and white . While most pre - War computers were bulky , primitive or both , there were exceptions . The U . S . government possessed several ZAX supercomputers , which were capable of complex artificial intelligence . Some robots , including the Mister Handy series , robobrain s and assaultron s also possess complex artificial personalities and libraries worth of information , despite being built around compact chassis .