The Outer Worlds on PS5 and Xbox Series X is finally the game it should have been

The Outer Worlds
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition is coming next week for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The enhanced edition of the Fallout successor comes to current-generation consoles and PC on March 7 as either an upgrade or a standalone release. 

If you think this is a simple re-release for PS5 and Xbox Series X then you would be mistaken. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition features not just 4K at 60fps on consoles, but also new improvements across the board for a significantly better experience. This isn't just limited to new fancy particle effects and touched-up lighting either, but also gameplay tweaks, too. 

Naturally, as a re-release, you’re also getting all the DLC and expansion content, which followed The Outer Worlds’ original October 2019 release. This means you’re also getting Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos, along with A.I. improvements for your companions and the various extra nasties to encounter on Terra-2 and Monarch for both Xbox Series X and PS5

Detailed in full in a PlayStation Blog post, there has been a lot of thought into exactly how the DualSense might be utilized to bring Obsidian’s bombastic space opera satire into 2023. One of the most exciting editions to the game has to be how the adaptive triggers work with the various ranged weapons in The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. This means that you’ll be able to really feel the recoil from an assault rifle, as well as feel a bolt action sniper firing out of a barrel backed up by the subtle vibrations of the haptic feedback.

If you already own an existing version of The Outer Worlds, then the Spacer’s Choice Edition upgrade can be purchased for $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$12. 

As someone who played and thoroughly enjoyed the original experience almost four years ago, I’m personally quite excited by the improvements made to fully flesh out the game world. The original version did suffer from noticeably dumb enemy A.I., which was particularly obvious in some of the wider open environments. More than a handful of times, companions like Felix and Parvati got stuck on the geometry, too. 

It’s the same all-star development team behind Fallout: New Vegas, so if you’re into big open-world games with compelling stories and exciting combat, this one isn’t going to disappoint. You’re looking at anywhere from 15 to 30 hours of content with very little filler; just be careful not to drive you and your crew directly into the sun.

Aleksha McLoughlin
Hardware Editor

Aleksha McLoughlin is the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming and oversees all hardware coverage for the site. She looks after buying guides, writes hardware reviews, news, and features as well as manages the hardware team. Before joining TRG she was the Hardware Editor for sister publication GamesRadar+ and she has also been PC Guide's Hardware Specialist. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of Trusted Reviews, The Metro, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn't working, you'll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.