Pinball FX - Player's Guide

Pinball FX made the leap to Unreal, and many older tables are getting new physics. A different enough game?

Introduction

Pinball FX, codenamed FX4, is a new installment and reboot of the Pinball FX series by Zen Studios. It released in Early Access on March 31, 2022, and a full launch for consoles on February 16, 2023 and April 13, 2023. Pinball FX features a vast array of tables, from those previously seen on FX2 and FX3, to brand-new designs and third-party IP's.

What prompted the change from FX3, since 2017?

New Engine

Let's dive into the history of the series, to begin. Pinball FX originally released on Xbox 360 on April 25, 2007[marketplace.xbox.com], with FX2 releasing late in 2010.

Similarly, the Zen Pinball games, Rollercoaster and Inferno[www.ipodobserver.com], released on iOS in July and October 2008, respectively, with PS3 getting the base release of 4 tables in May 2009.

You can already imagine how old the FX3 engine is, based on previous iterations. With technology rapidly changing these days, it's proved difficult for Zen to keep up with engine upgrades and implementing new features. Know that Pinball FX3 released in September 2017, a little over 4 years since FX2's arrival here, and about 7 years since FX2's original release on Xbox 360.

Every year, Zen consistently released 10+ tables. They've seemingly slowed down in 2019, given the gap between Volume 4 and Universal Monsters. Fast forward to 2020, where we only got Volume 6 and a teaser for Mandalorian...with no FX3 logo. Given Zen's traditional 9-month cycle for new originals, Zen must have changed engines as early as 2019, with the choice made likely within the 5-month gap. Consider also the struggles Zen had with Volume 6; Space Station was created before Universal Monsters and Volume 5.

Compare the amount of new content we've received in FX2 vs. FX3, and you can see the big picture. With the change to Unreal 4, Zen can pump out more tables at a faster and more consistent rate. A good portion of the team was also relegated to the custom engine before the big leap; resources are now freed up for Zen to optimize, fix issues, and introduce new features across the board.

FX in Unreal also allows for more potential in graphical capabilities, like Ray Tracing and HDR, assuming players' graphics cards provide that power. More information on new gameplay features follows in the below sections.

No FX3 -> FX Transfers

12/5/2024 UPDATE: From now on, all tables will be transferred between any game, where applicable, pending licensing issues.

This news was known since March 2021, when they initially announced the 1-year exclusivity deal. Hear me out:

Zen's primary reasoning for this is the engine change, as given in the above section.

Unlike most other games, table transfers aren't as simple as tying assets from one engine or game to another, even if they look the same. Know that 79 (or a total of 81) of the FX3 tables are licensed, so even third parties have a say as to what Zen can do with each respective property.

Providing history on this front, we have the following purchase transfers:

• Pinball FX1 to FX2, for Xbox 360, in 2010.
  
• Zen Pinball 1 & Marvel Pinball to Zen Pinball 2, for PSN, in 2012.
  
• Zen Pinball 2 PS3/Vita to PS4, 2013
  
• FX2 Xbox 360 to Xbox One in 2014, initially saying "no" to that process. Microsoft was to blame, due to poor reception from XB1.[www.polygon.com]
  
• FX2 and ZP2 to Pinball FX3, 2017, on Xbox, Playstation, and Steam.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3243198266
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3243206441

All of these have at least one license involved, which likely means license holders wanted another bite of the apple. Zen is incredibly generous to have provided free transfers for us for as long as they have. We were very fortunate to get table transfers for this long. This transfer process remained on the same engine, and the physics between the two remained mostly the same, up until Williams. The lack of any transfers, from FX3 to FX, is the first time this has happened in this series. VR does not count; third parties consider it a different entity and experience.

Around 5:00 in the podcast below, Mel (COO of Zen) mentioned how some licensors wouldn't allow transfers again. We don't know who said this, but given the key word "again", this implies the licensed tables from FX2. Universal and Williams are up in the air, but that's not the point. Anyone who says "no" in this process, it's out of Zen's hands. Things got messy for Zen to deal with at that point, not factoring the imperfect transfer process on Steam from FX2 -> FX3. More info on the Discounts section.

This isn't Zen's first rodeo with this, but they aren't responsible for the following: The Wii U version of Zen Pinball 2 didn't see any entitlements transfer to FX3 on the Switch. This was a Nintendo problem, since no NNID purchases on 3DS/Wii U transferred to My Nintendo Accounts (Switch). No doubt they looked at possible avenues here.

https://old.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/7gmx6l/pinball_fx3_out_dec_12th/

Pinball Arcade is also guilty of this. Farsight didn't allow purchase transfers on consoles when hopping from PS3 to PS4, and people were not happy about having to repurchase tables. The differences between PS3 and PS4 weren't all that many, unlike Zen in this case. Would Farsight have done the same thing as Zen if there was a "Pinball Arcade 2"? Most likely.

https://blog.playstation.com/2013/12/23/update-on-pinball-arcade-for-ps4/

On the same topic, when Pinball Arcade released on the Switch in early 2018, it was pulled after a few hours on launch day, because third parties did not approve. 60+ Bally/Williams tables were missing upon its return, and the months that followed are history.

https://old.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/8afazt/did_pinball_arcade_get_pulled_from_the_eshop/

Given these, it's safe to say that no third party licenses are guaranteed for a transfer.

TPA vs FX3, on No Transfers:

Pinball Arcade, DX9-style lighting to DX11:

• Same engine (in-house)
  
• Same UI
  
• Same audio
  
• Similar textures
  
• Same physics
  
• New lighting (adjustable bulbs and room lighting)

We were fortunate to get DX11 as an upgrade on Steam, but at the cost of downloading two builds at once.

Pinball FX3 to Pinball FX (4):

• New engine (in-house to Unreal)
  
• New UI (harkens more back to the FX2 days)
  
• Same audio (improvements on the ROMs in progress; SSF to be determined)
  
• Similar textures
  
• Different physics (sans Williams, as a baseline)
  
• Both similar, and new dynamic lighting
  
• Official DMDext support (Freezy's DMD)
  
• Official DOFLinx support

Why Repurchase?

Zen's reasoning for the upgrade isn't clear as it is on their FAQ page. The change to Unreal is one of the reasons, and likewise with licensing as above, but let's dive deeper:

Updated graphics are certainly a debate. The tables do look different in Unreal; however, you'll need a keen eye to tell the differences between FX3 and FX. Even Zen admitted that their art team has done a spectacular job getting the tables on FX3 looking amazing. Going over to FX was going to be a challenge for them in this regard, but the new graphical features that Unreal provides are one of the big reasons.

Some of the graphical improvements can be attributed to features like HDR and ray-tracing for higher-end builds. Others can be relegated to things like particle effects and the ease of access for the new UI, but all of these aspects can be further worked on for optimization.

The other big reason is the physics. All of the pre-Williams catalog that Zen's released over the years have received the physics that are found on Williams, as well as Zen's newest originals. These tables were built with the legacy physics model in mind, and it's not as simple as tacking on a new model. You have new flipper tricks and a completely different ball that changes the feel of the games completely. Shots need re-tuned, and unnatural elements need to accommodate for the new model. We have a completely different ball game, as a result. See "New Physics" for further details.

You can try out any free non-premium Williams tables and Zen Originals in the Events tab, on a (bi-)weekly cycle, in addition to Fish Tales, Sorcerer's Lair, and Wild West Rampage. These free Events are marked with 1 token as a reward for meeting the score requirement; Premium Events are marked with 2 tokens. The following table categories are listed candidates for the Free Events weekly cycle:

• Zen Originals
  
• Marvel
  
• Star Wars
  
• Universal
  
• Williams**
  
• Gearbox
  
• Dreamworks
  
• Peanuts
  
• Star Trek
  
• South Park

**Indiana Jones is excluded....for now.

On a side note: Cross-platform purchases, even on previous iterations, are immediately off the table. Since many developers host games and DLC directly on storefronts like Steam, Playstation, and Xbox, storefronts will not allow any game developer to take purchases made on one store and apply it to a competitor unless otherwise specified.[zenstudios.freshdesk.com]

Bug Fixes

No game ever releases perfect on day 1. That said, Zen's released an unusual number of tables within the console and Steam launches -- both new and legacy tables. Given the issues on hand currently, it's clear they were crunched on time and had to get these tables working as best as they could.

That said, remember how often FX3 bugs were fixed. If a team of 60 was struggling to get alphanumerics working on FX3, I wonder how efficient that engine was with fixing bugs. Couple this with Zen working on Unreal at the same time -- FX3's lifespan was cut short. With Zen changing to Unreal, bug fixes can be made more swiftly and efficiently in future patches.

Remember also, the physics issues that are present on some legacy Zen originals. If the new physics were applied on FX3, there'd be as many unhappy campers there. No more legacy physics, untuned shots and return feeds, untuned kickbacks, and a majority of leaderboard scores reset/archived.

Zen changing engines is the best case scenario. FX3 remains completely functional as it is.

How many bugs were fixed?

Well, for a general idea:

Early Access Pinball FX Fixes[docs.google.com]
Unofficial 1.0 Changelog[docs.google.com]
Steam Launch[docs.google.com]
V1.0.7[docs.google.com]
V1.0.12
V1.0.14
V1.0.17
V1.0.18 Hotfix
V1.0.19

The list below shows how many FX3 carryover issues are now resolved in FX:

Williams FX3 Issues, Resolved in FX[docs.google.com]

How many more bugs exist?

Your reports help make the game better long-term, and Zen still has work to do on that front. For a main idea of the list of issues:

Master List - Pinball FX[docs.google.com]

Will they fix more bugs than before?

Absolutely. From the list above, some of the issues are purely aesthetic, or don't leave a big impact on the overall experience. While game-breaking issues remain top priority, it's best to find and squash as many issues as possible for the best PinFX experience.

Graphics: Textures/File Size

You'll notice the game files between FX2 and FX3 are roughly the same size, mostly using the same assets between the two versions. That's normal; they don't use assets that scale to 4K, since that kind of tech was rare, if not recently introduced to modern audiences. Leap to FX, though, and the file size suddenly increases from 8 GB for 100 tables to 40 GB for 130. You might be asking yourself, "why?' -- and rightfully so.

The games are truly using assets compatible with 4K, using Fish Tales as an example. Much of the text and artwork are legible on the playfield in FX3, but the image feels...off, like it's somewhat blurry. FX is sharpened quite a bit, without using any form of anti-aliasing. This is also why the file size for each table is larger; rarely does any size increase have to do with programming as a major factor.

I personally have Secret Agent as a VPX table; the file size for this is 240MB. It uses high-resolution assets and has nothing video related. If there are table files here greater than that, it either indicates some form of video assets, or a large number of models are used. Fear Itself, Starfighter Assault, and Thor are a few legacy examples, table numbers 5, 6, and 7, for reference from the list to the pakchunk files. Grimm Tales, Pacific Rim, and Goat Simulator are others that use direct video feed.

Why not use depots for DLC?

While the initial install size is reduced, it'll take additional work for tables to be updated before a patch is pushed, especially considering how Unreal Engine files are downloaded/verified on Steam. Since demos aren't allowed to be DLC here on Steam, players lose access to free events and table demos to see how they play before making a purchase.

Why not host tables on a separate server for demos and free events?

That will require another front to update tables every patch and could raise issues, especially when using both of these methods combined.

On a different note, if developers exclusively use a third party server to host content, players now risk losing purchases if that server or the developers hosting the content go down. Microsoft Flight Simulator, Pro Pinball Ultra, and Pinball Arcade for Mac, on Steam, are prime examples of why this is a bad idea.

The initial download is heavy, but it has to be this way. Steam functions differently than mobile and consoles.

Graphics: Dynamic Lighting

FX3's flashers did the job they needed to do for the most part, but going back to the Williams releases, they tended to have no reach. One good example of this is Strobe Multiball on Attack From Mars. In a real world setting, it's blinding in the dark, and tends to have great reach. FX3, while it does the effect better than Pinball Arcade, doesn't reach or pierce any surface higher than a wall.

FX3, 1080p, 8x MSAA:


Pinball FX's lighting is upgraded to allow for fuller extent of lighting properties, and Strobe Multiball here is more reflective of how a real flasher works. It illuminates areas far beyond anything on the surface, perhaps even reaching the backglass areas.

FX Unreal, 1080p, High TAA (MBeeching modified settings):

New Physics

12/7/2023: The FX3 legacy model on the new releases has returned, for players who wish for a more forgiving experience.

On FX3, every single table uses the Legacy physics model as a base, even on the Williams tables. FX2 uses the same physics model, likewise, and very little changes were made between the two games.

The only exception to this is the set of physics found on Williams' Classic modes. Volumes 1-3 are exceptions, likewise in some ways, because the behavior of the ball and flippers were still a work in progress, and by the time Volume 4 released, the interactions are much like what we're seeing now in FX.

On Pinball FX, the set of physics starting from Williams Volume 4, going forward, was introduced to every table. No two pinball games feel exactly the same way, and that applies with identical machines with different conditions. Empire Strikes Back, here, feels way different than how it was on FX3. For every table that was released before Williams Volume 3 in 2019, expect a completely new ball game.

To demonstrate, consider cradle separations. On FX3's originals, they're improperly done such that players are forced to jailbreak or send balls out of control. FX, on the other hand, allows players to properly perform the separations.

The new physics features are as follows, on every table:

• Drop Catch
  
• Live Catch
  
• Cradle Separation
  
• Over-Under Cradle
  
• Flick/Tip Pass
  
• Loop Pass
  
• Tap Passing

Yeah, you read that right. Tap passing. Remember the Williams physics upgrade in May 2019? You can do this on all tables now! Try it out with the slow-motion power in the Arcade play setting.

Assuming Zen refines flipper movements for future releases, early solid states like Paragon and Eight Ball Deluxe will be FUN.

Now, with all that said, are these new physics the be-all and end-all? No; they can be further improved, and Zen recently created a thread as such here on the Steam Discussions. I did a thorough investigation of the current flippers used across all tables, and compared with the upper flipper used in Terraforming Mars. That upper flipper looks promising; the following is a playlist featuring all the neat details when comparing between the two flippers.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6eNYGI9zQchqfoRcjok7t6ai_EUBWEz7

Mark Steinman from PAPA puts it best on learning how to play pinball.

Intro to Bundles

The total DLC cost is north of $500. If you purchased a majority of FX3 tables prior to FX, that number is an illusion.

Every new table (except for Indy) is between $5-10 each, and can be discounted through sales. Budget accordingly; this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Legacy Bundle Discounts

Consider Williams Volume 1, for example: 3 tables for $10, normally. Here on Steam, Zen's built bundles in a way such that you can repurchase FX3 tables for half the cost, if you own that respective pack.

If you own FX3 Volume 1, you can get FX Volume 1 for $5 using that bundle. What's even better, is any discounts that take place will stack multiplicatively. For example, if a legacy pack is 50% off on a weekly sale, that effectively makes the bundle price $2.50. Not bad for less than $1/table. Pay attention to the Weekly and Seasonal sales for these opportunities.

While new tables are considerably more expensive, the legacy bundles soften the blow, and not everything has to be repurchased all at once. If one owns all the FX3 tables, the total cost of repurchases goes down to about $150, or less, if you want to wait for even greater discounts.

All 76 tables from FX3 presently cost $251. Counting all current Legacy bundles, ($245 - 50%) = $122.5, plus the additional $3 for CastleStorm. Stack 50% on top of that, the repurchase cost is now around $64 for 76 tables, as an example.

Bundle Discounts: New vs. Returning Player

MBeeching explains it best here.

The legacy bundles on Steam are theoretically cheaper for new players compared to those who are returning, which is an unusual case. Consider this example:

• Unowned FX3 & FX packs: $9.99
  
• Owned FX3 pack & repurchase for FX: $4.99 + X for previous ownership

This is a case where a new player can essentially get an FX3 pack for free. Sounds good on paper, but here's where the double-edged sword comes into play. If only FX gets discounted for 33%, the overall effective discount is slashed in half.

• Unowned FX3 & FX (33% off) packs: $8.34
  
• FX pack (33% off) - $6.70
  
• Owned FX3 pack & repurchase for FX: $3.33 + X for previous ownership

If one is a newer player, think carefully how you spend your money. If FX is solely what you're after given FX3's state as a finished product, the Legacy Bundles might not be worth getting. Prioritize Collections over Legacy Bundles if seeking to avoid FX3.

Returning FX2 Players / Unusual Circumstances:

Unfortunately, FX2 users who transferred to FX3 suffer from an issue where not every Steam DLC was read successfully, denying access to that bundle discount. Most cases involve single tables on FX2 that were condensed into packs on FX3. This includes the following:

• Marvel Vengeance & Virtue
  
• Marvel Legends
  
• Marvel Heavy Hitters (averted if claimed through the Care Package in 2020)
  
• Marvel Cinematic
  
• Star Wars: Unsung Heroes
  
• Zen Medieval (NOTE: Charity Pack.)
  
• Zen Sci-Fi

A total of 20 tables are affected.

Zen's Medieval Pack is now allocated to charity and will probably not get the legacy discount.

Using Marvel Season 1 as an example: "Vengeance and Virtue" and "Marvel Legends" suffer. Suppose all 3 packs are 50% off individually. One can get the Marvel Original Legacy Bundle separately, then get the Season 1 Bundle for the 20% benefit. The total cost here is $2.50 + $4 + $4 = $10.50 total.

Likewise, do the above for Marvel Season 2, Star Wars Season 2, and Zen Season 2.

Since CastleStorm is solo and Wild West Rampage is free, there is no legacy discount attached. The effective Iron and Steel discount is 40% normally (from $5 for both, to $3 for CastleStorm), and about 80% during major sales. Consider getting the Zen Collection 1 bundle if you want to save a little bit more, assuming all possible Legacy Bundles are accounted for.

Your best bet is to wait for a discount to that level or more, if Zen's unable (or unwilling, at worst) to fix this. On the other hand, the Season bundles for FX (a 20% discount & can stack) can help alleviate this, especially during any major sales that take place. Ensure that all Legacy Bundles are purchased in that set before purchasing the remaining affected packs in a collection.

Starter Bundle:

Williams Volume 2, Universal Classics, and "Secrets and Shadows" are featured in this special offer! This is a "Complete Your Set" dynamic bundle -- if you are own these FX3 packs and repurchase them through the Legacy Bundles (mentioned above, and linked below), you can pick up Secrets and Shadows for absolutely free!

Legacy Bundles: Full List

Most assume a 65% discount, from base price, during Seasonal sales. Legacy Bundles cut that again in half for an 83% off total discount, for the most part. All bundle prices below are from Summer Sale 2024, also assuming those FX3 packs are owned.

Williams Volume 1 - $1.75
Williams Volume 2 - $1.75
Williams Volume 3 - $1.75
Williams Volume 4 - $1.75
Williams Volume 5 - $1.75
Williams Volume 6 - $1.75
Williams - Universal Monsters - $1.22
Williams Indiana Jones - $3 (FX pack was 60% off)

Marvel Pinball Original - $1.75
Marvel Vengeance and Virtue - $1.75
Marvel Legends - $1.75
Marvel Avengers Chronicles - $1.75
Marvel Cinematic Pack - $1.75
Marvel Heavy Hitters - $1.75
Marvel Women of Power - $1.22

Star Wars Pinball - $1.75
Star Wars: Balance of the Force - $1.75
Star Wars: Heroes Within - $1.75
Star Wars: Unsung Heroes - $1.22
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - $0.87
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - $1.22
Star Wars: Solo - $1.75

Universal Classics - $1.75
Jurassic World - $1.75

Carnivals and Legends - $1.22
Core Collection - $1.75

Punch these numbers in a calculator, these bundles cost less than $50.

New UI & Differences

The New UI in the PFX main lobby is designed to be more streamlined and flexible, harkening back to the FX2 days.

The ideal case is loading a table immediately from starting Pinball FX. There's an immense amount of load time on the splash screen, unless you play in Offline Mode. Hopefully, this will be improved for future patches.

Pinball FX2: Table select -> Game Mode Select. 2 steps.

Pros:

• Launch a table within a few steps.
  
• Main menu: Immediate access to full table catalog.

Cons:

• As more games were added, the table icons continuously got smaller, and it was getting more difficult to tell which table was which. Categories could have solved this, given consoles, but adds another step.
  
• Accessing Audio / Graphics / other settings can be clunky to navigate around.

Pinball FX3: Single Player -> Table select -> Single Player/Challenges -> Game Mode (-> Arcade/Tournament Williams). 4-5 steps.

Pros:

• Tables are now in categories and are more readable.
  
• Can now favorite tables for ease of access.

Cons:

• Introduces many more steps than needed to launch a table.
  
• "Single Player" has to be selected upon FX3 launch.
  
• If wanting to access Settings, Matchup, or Tournaments, among other options, one must back out completely to the main menu or launch a table.
  
• Tables can be hidden on any category with 4 or more options.
  
• Controller use can be clunky and lower overall UX.

Pinball FX Unreal: (My Tables, first time ->) Table select -> (Game Mode ->) Play. 2-4 steps.
Version 1.0.14:
Pros:

• Table categories can now be filtered based on preferences, saved into memory, and updated at will.
  
• All game modes are now listed instead of split into two sections.
  
• Players now have access to the tabs up top, and can select at will.
  
• Settings menus are relegated appropriately instead of baked into a different menu tab. Players can adjust settings just before launching a table and remain in that same step, for example.

Cons:

• Font sizes are small.
  
• "My Tables" has to be selected upon PFX launch. A future update can mitigate this.
  
• Leaderboards can be put in a better position when selecting a table/game mode.
  
• Controller use can be clunky and lower overall UX. A general downside, though, across all games.

Version 1.0.17:
Pros: Similar to the above, except for the below:
Cons:

• Filters based on preferred licenses are no more, and new tables are featured twice on the list.

New Tables

The full list of tables can be found here.[www.pinballfx.com]

Williams:

• Indiana Jones
  
• Swords of Fury
  
• Bride of Pin*Bot
  
• World Cup Soccer
  
• Addams Family
  
• Twilight Zone
  
• Whirlwind
  
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
  
• Banzai Run
  
• Earthshaker!
  
• Black Knight 2000

Zen Originals:

• Curse of the Mummy
  
• Pinball Noir
  
• Sky Pirates
  
• Grimm Tales
  
• Wrath of the Elder Gods
  
• A Samurai's Vengeance
  
• Verne's Mysterious Island

Licensed:

• World War Z
  
  
• Charlie Brown Christmas
  
  
• Homeworld
  
• Borderlands
  
• Brothers In Arms
  
  
• Crypt of the NecroDancer
  
  
• Godzilla
  
• Kong
  
• Godzilla Vs. Kong
  
• Pacific Rim
  
  
• Exploding Kittens
  
• Gloomhaven
  
• Terraforming Mars
  
  
• Star Trek: Kelvin
  
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9
  
• Star Trek: Discovery
  
  
• Knight Rider
  
• Battlestar Galactica
  
• Xena: Warrior Princess
  
  
• Goat Simulator
  
  
• The Princess Bride

Star Wars Pinball VR:

• Star Wars: Classic Collectibles
  
• Star Wars: Mandalorian

Zen Pinball Party:

• My Little Pony
  
  
• Dreamworks' Dragons
  
• Dreamworks' Trolls
  
• Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda
  
  
• Snoopy
  
  
• Garfield

Pinball M:

• Chucky
  
• Dead By Daylight
  
• The Thing
  
• Duke Nukem
  
• System Shock
  
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre
  
• Camp Bloodbrook

Returning Tables:

• South Park: Super Sweet Pinball
  
• South Park: Butters' Very Own Pinball
  
• Super League Football

WMS Censorship / Age Ratings

Short version: GONE.

Long version: FX3 on consoles suffered from forced censorship with no way to turn it off. Zen already got in trouble with the ESRB once with a placeholder asset on Infinite Minigolf for the Switch. They couldn't afford to make that mistake twice, hence the censorship. I imagine it's also not cheap or simple to change the ratings like that on an already-released title.

Given these, the Williams library would be missing some great titles that were included in Pinball Arcade. These include but are not limited to:

Bram Stoker's Dracula -- Blood (turned to green slime on Monster Bash)
Jack*Bot -- Simulated Gambling (Poker Night removed on Champion Pub)
Star Trek: The Next Generation -- Riker's Poker (Poker Night removed on Champion Pub; operator adjustable)
Both Elvira games -- Suggestive Themes (art alterations on MANY tables)
Cactus Canyon -- Alcohol/Beer (Champion Pub soda, once again)
WHO dunnit -- Roulette/Mystery Slots (Poker Night removed on Champion Pub)
Riverboat Gambler -- Obviously.

Despite Steam's lack of age rating requirements, we would have still not been able to see tables like the above make it into Pinball FX3.

With the new "T" rating, the doors are opened for unaltered tables, where applicable. The alterations of the vehicles on Creature, for example, are out of respect for the dealers like Chevrolet. Likewise with Party Zone's omission of Purple Haze.

Cabinet Mode

You no longer need a code for access to cabinet features!

Orientation for Portrait Mode is now in the Settings section. Click the cog in the upper right corner, go into Settings, and tab into Video.


Freezy's DMD Extension is now officially supported, unlike Pinball FX3's reading-by-memory method. The neat thing here, is that alphanumeric displays and video displays from the newest originals are fully supported -- though the latter can be particularly expensive to render. You can go here for more information.[github.com]

Players can now directly launch a table using a command line, using the following template:
-Table X -GameMode Y
...where X is the table number and Y is any of Classic, Hotseat 2/3/4, Pro, or Practice.

The rest of the options function similarly to how FX3 is, for resizing and placing the DMD/Video display and the backglass. Both can be activated or deactivated while in the main hub.

All backglass images as of now require the .png extension. All images also require a table number -- the full list is found here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3024571947

Native DOFLinx is now implemented, as of V1.0.14! Progress and future revision changes of DOFLinx can be found here: https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showforum=107

Possible Roadmap / What do we know?

NOW IMPLEMENTED:

• Gameplay: Event Scores transferable to the main game leaderboard
  
• Gameplay: Faster launch times
  
• Gameplay: Questlines / Fading Score (M Survival/Bleeding)
  
• Gameplay: Questlines / Target Score (M Rescue)
  
• Gameplay: Questlines / Survival (FX3 / M Dread)
  
• Gameplay: Questlines / Multiball Challenge (M Madness)
  
• Graphics: DLSS
  
• Graphics: FSR
  
• Graphics: Intel XeSS
  
• Latency: Nvidia Reflex
  
• Cabinet: Freezy's External DMD
  
• Cabinet: DOFLinx: B2S, Table Events, SSF & Real Hardware Feedback
  
• Controls: Custom controller mapping
  
• Audio: Menu Music Slider
  
• Audio: Jurassic Park Theme - John Williams (JP / JP Pinball Mayhem)

Upcoming:

• Pinball FX VR: Quest 3 (Meta Store), April 3, 2025
  
• Tomb Raider (original 2-pack -- thanks, AtGames.)

Future Plans:

• Table patches
  
• Platform: Steam Deck Verified
  
• Gameplay: Tournament Scores transferable to the main game leaderboard
  
• FX3 Remasters: 17 MIA
  
• Graphics: Updated ball texture on all tables
  
• Custom lighting settings, according to a Zen dev on their Discord server.
  
• Physics: Normal settings applied to all tables
  
• Whirlwind: Planned support for the fan topper activating while you play, per the June 2023 Pinball Bites episode.
  
• Multiplayer (ETA: 2025)

Mel confirmed in Blahcade 252, the fastest period that major content updates take place will be once every 2 months. "You can't have multiple submissions stacked on top of each other. With Sony's / Xbox's FQA, it's got to clear before you can put it out. We're publishing to their store again and no longer just to end game, so that adds publishing overhead and time to release."

Of the 130 existing tables, 47 of them are brand new, 80 returned from FX3, and 3 returned from FX2. 7 more new tables, not counting Elder Gods, exist in M.

Remastered content is still a work in progress, given the March Update and the April episode of Pinball Bites. 3 Bethesda, 4 FOX, 3 Aliens, and 7 Zen originals remain missing.

Missing FX3 licenses:

• DOOM
  
• Skyrim
  
• Fallout
  
  
• Aliens
  
• Alien vs. Predator
  
• Alien: Isolation
  
  
• Family Guy
  
• American Dad!
  
• Bob's Burgers
  
• Archer[www.lupsclub.com]

The back wall of Pinball Bites, and the list of Zen Designers on the Steam Discussions, confirm the missing 7 Zen tables. Given Paranormal's vertical playfield and Banzai Run's inclusion, it's a matter of when.

There is a dedicated team for cabinet mode. The DIY cabinet that Zen built in 2022 was not a mistake. Look for new and improved features on that front in the future.

Zen has full access to the Bally/Williams catalog. Anything goes. "We'll keep going; if people keep buying them, we'll keep making them."

Expect at least 12-13 table releases in 2025; we will definitely see more Williams than last year.

Subject to speculation:

All the way back on the Pinball Show's pilot episode, Mel said "You're not going to see Pinball FX2 come". Pinball FX is currently using Unreal Engine 4; if Zen leaps to Unreal 5, a new game should not be required at all. "We'll go to Unreal 5 once it's in our hands and ready. We can do all that, but where we are in the dev cycle for Pinball FX, is UE4 right now. The upgrade and all that will happen at some point.

Questions / Feedback?

Is there a quick way to launch into the game without the "Press Any Button" toggle?

Yes! Use "-Table 0" in the command line, under Properties, before launching the game. You will boot straight into the main hub.

When is Stern/any other manufacturer joining the lineup?

Not until they're ready to announce as such. Zen was approached by Gottlieb but turned them down due to improper timing. Stern is not ready to leap back into digital after their last foray. Stern and Gottlieb titles are still available, so for those, we'll know when they're pulled from further sale.

Any new tables or updates for Pinball FX3?

Indiana Jones is the last FX3 release, dated March 2022. The latest FX3 update unlocked cabinet support for all users, dated November 4, 2024. Zen's fully committed to using Unreal for further development. If any licenses expire, Zen will give us advance notice.

Why are System Shock and Camp Bloodbook not cross-buy here?

According to Zen, Valve blocked the cross-buy opportunity.

The reason is because Valve was against the idea of Pinball M (arguably, the ESRB is still around for consoles, and we wouldn't have seen features from M be possible here otherwise).

How do I claim Grand Tournament trophies?

Under the "Finished" section, look for the Grand Tournament that just finished. If you see a "Claim Reward" button, click it, and you'll get your trophy. You can also claim it through the Notifications section of the Home tab.

What about the other FX2/FX3 tables that didn't make it?

For Zen's earliest creations dating back to FX1, old tech. They would need a massive overhaul for those to make it back. Licensing is the reason, otherwise, for the following:

• Plants Vs. Zombies: This was a 2012 table; the agreement was likely secured before the PopCap buyout. George Fan might have been involved as an employee at the time contracts were written; Zen probably needs a new agreement.
  
• Ms. 'Splosion Man: Microsoft exclusive table, it never appeared outside of FX2. Zen needs to renegotiate for this to be a first-timer on non-Microsoft platforms. (Twisted Pixel is now under Facebook...?)
  
• Street Fighter 2 / Ninja Gaiden: Xbox/Playstation exclusives. Zen needs to renegotiate for this to be a first-timer here on Steam and elsewhere.
  
• Portal: I'm not sure about that one; mostly up to speculation at this point.
  
• Telltale's The Walking Dead: Telltale went under in 2018, and LCG Entertainment acquired much of the original company IP. The final episode was developed by Skybound Games. The original agreements no longer apply, assuming the change in publisher on SteamDB's original game release.[steamdb.info] Zen almost certainly needs a new agreement here.

--------

Any further questions, or anything that I might have missed, do not hesitate to reach out to me, or discuss in the comments below. If you have additional feedback you'd like to provide to Zen, this is a great opportunity to share directly to them:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/2328760/discussions/0/5782106519340450909/

Feel free to email directly to Zen support if you have any further questions.

Big thanks to MBeeching for the proofreading and minor edits.

[Pinballwiz45b]

Part of it is licensing related, by third parties. They have to be in the clear before pulling the trigger. If Zen does it without their approval, they get into trouble.

The other may be engine related; things may not be packaged or look the same.

Physics are an absolute; they don't play the same way as before. If you use a new physics model, you have to make sure everything functions before releasing.

[Red Guy]

I don't get why they have no transferring of DLC still even after the Steam release since it is most likely as simple as just checking to see if you have the DLC installed or purchased on your account upon first launch

[Pinballwiz45b]

Modified the "New Engine" section to correctly display the related Zen Pinball releases on mobile and Playstation 3, respectively.

[Pinballwiz45b]

Catboy, no.

[Icecream]

Thanks for this guide, help me to understanding the hints from PFX

[catboy1982]

Godzilla Premium/Foo Fighters Premium is this possible?in 2024

[Pinballwiz45b]

@imbobbio, No more FX3 tables.

The second question: If you have a good enough Nvidia card, feel free to check out Nvidia Reflex. Flipper lag is gone on my 970.

[imbobbio]

Will there be any new table added to FX3 in 2023/2024?
When will F be properly tuned so it doesn't lag? Custom settings do little on lag.

[Pinballwiz45b]

Err...Universal isn't new, is it? Jurassic Park and Universal Classics were both early FX3 titles.

[Fiona the Gamer]

You forgot to list the Universal Studios tables.