We at Obsidian are excited to announce a version of The Outer Worlds upgraded for PlayStation 5 – The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. Let’s dive into some of the exciting changes we are making to this Board-approved RPG and how we approached this task.
The Outer Worlds was received incredibly well from fans all over the world and won multiple awards, so having the opportunity to improve on something we know people love has been a real pleasure.
If you aren’t too familiar with the game, here’s a brief summary:
Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the edge of the galaxy, you awake decades after your planned date only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the colony. Explore the various planets and locations of Halcyon, including the mysterious Gorgon Asteroid and the delightful distillery on Eridanos. As you encounter various factions, all vying for power, the decisions you make determine how the narrative unfolds.
The newest generation of consoles came out just a year after the game’s original release. So for us it made sense to freshen up the base game, bundle available content, take advantage of the PlayStation 5’s latest hardware capabilities and the DualSense Controller trigger feedback to help make sure it would live on and stay relevant for many more years to come. Hence, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition.
Here’s how the teams did it.
Going beyond visual enhancements
Sure, improving the visuals is part of the deal. We were able to update to 4K, 60FPS graphics, enhance volumetric lighting, improve particle systems, and enhance the environments with increased asset density. We also raised the bar in several additional ways: we made the combat and companion AIs smarter, improved the open-world sensation through better depth of field and by reworking existing vistas, updated varying weather conditions, and we reworked character models and animations. Don’t worry, we didn’t dare touch the core of what made The Outer Worlds great. There’s no point in reinventing the wheel, but fresh tires are always a plus.
That being said, a completely new and exciting feature set is the DualSense wireless controller adaptive triggers and haptics. When employing ranged weapons, players will appreciate different trigger effects depending on the type. For a weapon like the flamethrower, the player will sense linear pressure. When firing an automatic weapon, trigger kickback will generate a pulse-like effect for each round fired. And for single-shot weapons such as a sniper or a shotgun, the trigger pressure effect will mimic the sensation of squeezing a trigger until the pin fires and the resistance lessens. Pretty neat, right? The game won’t just look better, it’ll also feel sharper.
Enhancing a legacy
If the improvements we have already described were not enough to justify this new edition, we thought this Spacer’s Choice Edition would make even more sense if it included the base game’s DLCs: Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos. So we did just that. Now the experience is even richer! On a side note: we know that several spacers out there enjoyed the fact that this was an approachable experience, not too short but not too long either. Rest assured, both DLCs do not extend the main story line. They exist on the side, offering a fresh narrative arc to enjoy if and when you feel like it once you’ve reached the appropriate level. Oh, and we increased the level cap to 99, to give players even more ways to build their character from the seven branches of the skill tree.
If you already own The Outer Worlds base game and its associated DLC, Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos, for PlayStation 4, you will be able to upgrade to The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition on PlayStation 5 for a reduced price.*
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is out March 7.
*Based on Private Division’s suggested retail price for The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. Actual price may differ. Limit of one upgrade per account. See platform store for details and terms.
