Quake led to a significant amount of buzz when it dropped on Switch and other systems, and was certainly a retro highlight of 2021. It wasn't just the classic game thrown onto modern hardware, but rather it has various improvements and entirely new content to dive into; it's often cheaper than a takeaway cappuccino, too.
Bethesda and ID Software are still improving it, with MachineGames continuing to pitch in with content. The third major update is now live, and it adds another three new levels for the Horde Mode - Relic, The Trial and The Tower.
Most impressively, this update adds some notable accessibility improvements, all designed to ensure more players can enjoy the game. Below is an example of the UI when an alternative high-contrast option is enabled, along with a list of other accessibility improvements.

Read Chat Out Loud - Converts incoming multiplayer text chat into a synthesized voice (Text to speech is not supported for menu narration, however)
Transcribe Voice Chat - Converts incoming voice chat to text in the multiplayer chat window
Speak For Me in Voice Chat - Converts outgoing multiplayer text chat into a synthesized voice audible to other players
High Contrast
Alternate Typeface - Changes the original in-game font to a more modern one for improved legibility
Screen Flash Amount - Decreases opacity of onscreen effects to reduce flash intensity
Center Message Time - Changes the display duration of center print HUD messages
Corner Message Time - Changes the display duration of corner print HUD messages
Maximum Lines - Changes the maximum number of onscreen corner print HUD messages
Chat Message Time - Changes the display duration of multiplayer text chat messages
The update also adds quality of life improvements, below:
General Gameplay
- Added option to disable automatic weapon switching on pickup (Note: This may not work with certain Add-ons)
- Improved spawn logic to avoid spawning enemies when the player is on a spawn point
Horde Mode
Skill selection balance adjustments:
We’ve received community feedback that Horde Mode is too hard on Easy and too easy on the more difficult skill selections. To accommodate this feedback, we’ve made Horde Mode less difficult on Easy and more difficult on the Hard and Nightmare skill levels. We hope these balance changes are to your liking and look forward look forward to hearing from you on them!
- Fewer enemies are spawned in each squad on Easy skill selection
- Boss enemies will start showing up in earlier waves on Hard and Nightmare skill selections
- Hard skill selection now starts with as many enemies as wave 3 had previously
- Nightmare skill selection now starts with as many enemies as wave 6 had previously
Additional balance adjustments:
- Ammo now respawns every 20 seconds instead of once per round
- Enemies are now more tenacious – they will now route around the map and obstacles to find you. No more hiding and safely picking off harmless monsters from a distance!
- Four player games will now spawn in double the enemies in each wave
Multiplayer
- Removed ability to enable cheats in public multiplayer matches (Note: Cheats can still be enabled from a PC host in private matches)
- Changed color of enemy text chat from red to green for increased contrast and improved legibility
- Online multiplayer text chat messages can now be sent via the Pause Menu (Note: Only PC versions support text entry from physical keyboards)
- Added option to toggle the scoreboard on/off with a button press instead of a button hold (in Gameplay Options)
Multiplayer Bots
- Added Deathmatch bot support for all single player levels in the original campaign, courtesy of Jorge Martins (Check out their super useful guides made for community modders here)
- Bots now roam around if the current map doesn't have items, finding their own roam goals
- Bots now better handle maps with lots of air blasts that push them around
- Improved bot navigation on MGDM1, and E1M2
- Bots now roam around if map doesn't have items, finding their own roam goals
- Bots now better handle maps with lots of air blasts that push them around
- Improved bot navigation on MGDM1, and E1M2
BUG FIXES
General Gameplay
- Fixed an issue in which music was not playing correctly on certain Add-ons
- Reduced audio latency throughout the game
- Fixed a bug in which the House of Doom achievement was not unlocking when finding the secret level in Dimension of the Past
- Resolved an issue in which the Corner message would print the incorrect one for a single frame
- Fixed an issue in which menus would not scroll all the way to the top of the screen
- Resolved the issue where the text chat window was too small while playing at 4K resolution on supported platforms
Horde Mode
- Fixed a bug in which suicide in Horde Mode would not deduct points and immediately respawn you
- Resolved an issue in which killing a teammate would incorrectly grant a frag and not end kill streaks
Removed the random offset from dropped powerups to prevent them from falling out of the level
Multiplayer Bots
- Fixed an issue in which bots would sometimes miss shootable triggers
- Fix bots incorrectly using Mjolnir when they don’t have ammo
- Addresses the issue where bots wouldn’t chatter when killing an enemy, or if teamkilled
Another meaty update, then. Let us know if you'll be checking it out!
[source bethesda.net]
Comments 15
The amount of support they have been giving this game is simply astounding. Every penny I spent on this remaster was worth it (and I bought it on two consoles).
If only they could somehow add an option which doesn't give me motion sickness when I play the game. I really want to play, but I also don't want to be ill all over my controller.
I bought it a few days ago on PS4 & I found the multiplayer way more fun than any modern day fps
Awesome, hopefully Quake 2 is coming.
Loved Quake 2 back in the day on PS1 but I never played this one so I'll check it out next week. I wouldn't mind Quake 3 and 4 on Switch tbh.
id Software just keep on giving. First the DOOM & DOOM 2 mods, now this big Quake update.
read chat out loud could be...unfortunate.
id Software is the best.
They have to be working on Quake 2. The sales on Q1 seem pretty decent, and Q2 is such a masterpiece. I really hope it drops some time this year. But amazing work on this, and great to see some of the best level-mods being added for free download. Value for money on this is off the charts. I personally didn't like this new clear text that was automatically configured into this update, but pleased to see you had the option to revert back to 'classic' text options. Seems to be an overall graphical refinement and tidy-up with this update that is nice to see as well.
bought this for $4 recently aaaaannnnddd i wasn't feeling it. its so hard to go from doom eternal and borderlands 2 to this. its like, it moves so fast i cant even aim right, no crosshairs, colors were just dark brown everywhere and yeah.
i didnt like how if you died in a campaign level you started from the very beginning roguelike style.
not for moi
Although I still think Quake is (and was back then) overrated as hell, I appreciate the massive support it's getting.
Hopefully the tons of addons will also find their way on console quake.
@SoManyHaveDied
Quake lives mostly of it's (amazing) engine but the "rest" is just average at best (for a FPS).
It feels more like a massive tech demo.
Stupid (and butt-ugly designed) enemies, weapons lack a serious amount of 'punch' and (the worst IMO) next to no feedback from hit enemies.
Don't get me wrong, it was cool to see a full-3D FPS like Quake running 26 years ago but even that 'novelty' was only shortlived.
The (IMO!!) way better Turok for N64 came a half year later.
The speed you move and how fast you die has always turned me off this game.
@Austrian turok rage wars for the win
@SoManyHaveDied "Not for moi". Opinion trashed.
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