In order to access the console, you will need to use the key appropriate for your language (as shown in the list of console keys). After restarting Fallout 4 pressing the equivalent button from above will open the console. Should this for some reason not work, you can always set your keyboard's language layout to US in the Windows control panel.
It cannot be accessed in the console versions of the game or in Survival mode. It is useful for altering content while in-game, but may be used to cheat as well.
The console is a debugging tool in the Windows version of Fallout 4. 9 Items, world, and target/reference manipulation.2 On commands, targets, shorthands and more.