Star Wars: Squadrons is headed for release around the same time as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but unlike many other games, it won’t be getting an upgraded version for the next-gen consoles. PS5 and Xbox One owners will still be able to play Star Wars: Squadrons as well as many other current-gen games on their new machines, however, thanks to the consoles’ broad backward and forward compatibility.
Revealed at EA Play in June, Star Wars: Squadrons is a dogfighting sim featuring lots of iconic ships from the Star Wars franchise, with some notable exclusions. It will also feature plenty of familiar characters from Star Wars canon while introducing its own cast of characters to tell a brand-new story of resistance in the time after the events of Return of the Jedi when the New Republic is just getting off the ground. While it tells that story through a single-player campaign, the game’s main focus will be multiplayer, where it will offer both dogfights and longer multistage Fleet Battles.
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Star Wars: Squadrons is set to release in October 2020, with most estimates putting next-gen console releases just a month later, in November. Despite that, EA says it isn’t planning to offer a next-gen upgrade for Star Wars: Squadrons, confirming earlier speculation that it would only get a current-gen release. Creative director Ian Frazier confirmed the news on Twitter, saying that Squadrons isn’t getting a separate next-gen version, but that its current-gen version will be playable on the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
We’re not planning a separate version of the game for the next-gen consoles, but yes, the backwards compatibility should work.
— Ian S. Frazier (@tibermoon) July 29, 2020
While it may be disappointing that Star Wars: Squadrons won’t get a fancy next-gen overhaul, it shouldn’t be too surprising. EA’s reveal of the game pointedly labeled it a PS4 and Xbox One release, for one. The game also comes in at a budget-friendly price of $40, which could indicate that it’s not getting all the bells and whistles that a publisher like EA could potentially muster. Even better for players’ wallets, EA says that Star Wars: Squadrons won’t have any microtransactions after launch. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bargain bin title, though, getting some exciting features like full VR support and cross-play.
Star Wars: Squadrons is looking like an interesting title as much for the details of its release as what’s actually in the game. A budget-priced current-gen exclusive coming out potentially just weeks before a next-gen console launch is certainly strange, and a game like that from EA not having post-launch monetization may be even stranger. Fortunately, next-gen early adopters will still be able to join in the fray, just without their new hardware really giving its all.
Star Wars: Squadrons will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 2nd, 2020.
Source: tibermoon/Twitter